


What Lies Beneath

by NYoshino9



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-15
Updated: 2018-05-25
Packaged: 2018-12-15 13:16:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 60,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11806749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NYoshino9/pseuds/NYoshino9
Summary: By knowning a person and befriending them, do we really know who he or she is? Eli may seem to be a normal school idol and student, but once one of her friends slowly unfolds her secrets, will she still be able to hide... What Lies Beneath?





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

You've seen what's above, but have you ever wondered, what lies beneath?

-/-

_Ever since I was little, my future was already decided. Until now, I've lived up to the expectations asked of me. I've tainted my hands with blood, a machine made to injure and capture those who cause chaos and crime in this world._

_My parents bestowed this burden upon me, saying that I have to continue my father's footsteps. They made me happy throughout my childhood, allowed me to practice ballet and have fun with some of my friends in school. But, everything changed when I turned 8._

_Since then, my life turned upside down; from a bright and cheerful life, to a dark and forlorn life._

-/-

In a dark alley in a secluded area stood five men cornering a teenage girl with cerulean eyes and blonde hair in a high ponytail. Her head was down, eyes covered by her hair.

The blonde was leaning on the alley's wall, her hands in to her jacket's pockets as the men continued to corner her, bringing out their weapons to intimidate her.

Eli paid them no heed as they approached closer; she then brought her hand to her earpiece and pressed on the button situated on it. A blue holographic triangular-shaped screen appeared in front of her face, showing her the details about her mission.

_=== Current time: 10:59:01 pm_

_=== Operation no. 103_

_Target: Criminal group no. 112 - Human Trafficking._

_=== Status: Initiating_

_=== Agent: E.A. (Rank 1)_

_=== Utility Activate: Night Vision_

She pressed the button again to deactivate the screen. One of the men approached the girl carelessly, twirling his gun on his finger and holding a knife in his other hand.

"Looks like we got a good catch 'ere." The man announced, making the other men laugh in agreement.

_The leader?_ Eli noted as the man came dangerously close, hovering knife on her forehead, making a cut just above her left eye. "A blonde huh? You could make us a fortune." He laughed, as he gripped her shoulder and threw her in the middle of the alley.

Eli anticipated the action and maintained her balance and composure. The leader of the group smirked; he raised his eyebrows to two of his mates. "Restrain her." He ordered.

The blonde saw the two incoming men approach from her front and back. Eli made no movement.

_=== Utility Activate: Defense Barrier_

_"Deflect."_

A few feet away from the blonde, the men hit the transparent barrier and were thrown hard onto the alley wall.

"What the―" The leader tried to say but was interrupted by a sudden jolt from the two thrown men. He looked at the blonde, her arm was raised, hands covered with black fingerless gloves holding onto a pistol.

Eli's eyes were blank as she shot the two men, aiming at their shoulders rendering them unconscious. Blood splattered everywhere, the two men were unmoving as blood continued to spew from their wounds.

"You..." The same man from before said angrily, bringing out his gun and gesturing the others to do the same. The agent stopped shooting and lowered her arm; she stared at the blood that was on the floor as if she wasn't in a dangerous scenario.

The three remaining men charged at her fast as she continued to stare down. The barrier did its work and threw the men onto the floor. With unnatural speed and agility, she injured each of the men one by one, making them fall to the ground in pain.

Eli stood still, watching the men shake in pain as blood continued to flow from their new wounds. She walked to the leader as she shot the remaining conscious men in their arm.

The agent then kneeled down; scared eyes met sharp and stoic ones. "P-Please! Don't kill me! I'll... I'll pay you! I have many s-slaves that can work for y-you! Just p-please!" He pleaded frantically, raising his arms in surrender.

The blonde's eyes remained emotionless as she kept her gun and drew out a knife. "P-P-Please!" The man begged as the blonde lowered her knife to make a huge gash in his thigh. She then punched the man in his cheek with great force making him slack to the side, unconscious.

Eli got on her feet, looking at the bloodied alley as if nothing was wrong. She pressed the button on her earpiece again.

_=== Current time: 11:04:57 pm_

_=== Operation no. 25_

_=== Status: Complete_

_"Data send, RSC. ID Code 03-020"_

The agent sighed, wiping the blood on her face. Eli then hid her knife then leaned on the alley wall, waiting.

_=== Incoming Call: RSC._

_"Initiate."_ Eli whispered the command as she slid her hands into her jacket's pockets again.

"Good work, Ayase." A deep male voice said in her earpiece as she started walking, having done this work before, she already knew what would happen next anyway.

"You have another job to do tomorrow; I'll give you the details later, knowing that you're already heading here." He spoke, the sound of paper flipping was heard through the earpiece.

"Don't overwork yourself, Ayase. You still have something to attend to tomorrow." And with that he ended the call as she continued to walk.

Elite Force Organization otherwise known as EFO, works in collaboration with the police and recruits only the most skilled and promising agents. Each cadet ranked, with only less than twenty agents, aging from twenty-one to twenty-eight.

Those who pass the preliminary tests, are pushed to their limits, making them go through brutal training sessions for a span of ten days and at the last day, an imitation mission. Each cadet will be given only a dagger for fighting seven armed men. Only the best of the best pass.

The ones who are successful are assigned to a captain and given gear and attire for missions and training. Before going into missions, a universal chip will be inserted into the agent's brain. This chip connects to all facilities in the agency and other agents; this is useful for missions, emergencies and special abilities such as night vision and defense barriers.

Eli then arrived at EFO's disguised building; she entered the so called insurance company. As she went through the security check, she pulled out her ID from her pocket and showed it to the guard. He nodded and let her through.

She then headed to the elevator and entered a code, it then brought her to the designated floor. As she exited the elevator, all faces turned to her, realizing who she was, some returned to what they were doing and some blurted out whispers.

"That's Rank 1 isn't it?" A man said out loud, keeping his eyes glued at her as his colleague nodded.

"She seems to be called 'Ace' because of her excellence in her missions, not to mention the higher-ups acknowledging her skill and natural talent."

"Pffft. Maybe she's just here because someone forced her to or maybe she's just being used puppet of someone close to her."

Eli continued walking, just staring ahead, ignoring the whispers said behind her back. She made her way to her dorm and changed attire for training. Before heading to the training facility, she made a detour to her captain's office.

She knocked twice on the door. "Come in." The same voice that came from her earpiece said in reply. Eli entered, seeing her captain sitting in his chair, flipping through some papers in his desk.

"Sonoda-heichou." Eli saluted as he looked up. He had navy blue hair and light amber eyes. Papers were piled up neatly at the side of his desk and a picture frame was displayed in front of it, containing a photo of his family, which included someone very familiar for her.

"No need to be so stiff, Ayase. You know you could call me Ryuu." He said as he gestured the chair in front of his desk. Eli sat down without a word.

Ryuu then handed her a brown folder, the blonde opened it and scanned the contents for a minute. "Consider it done, sir." Eli said as she closed the folder and gave it back.

"Great, now to more important matters," He said, putting the folder aside.

"We have a meeting with the higher-ups or should I say, the heads, soon, they'll be assigning you an important job to take care of. They'll be discussing the details with us."

Eli nodded. It was their usual routine anyway, he informs her of their schedule the next day then dismisses her nonchalantly; business as usual. She stood up to take her leave.

"Wait, Ayase."

Eli stopped abruptly as she was steps away from the door. She stood there surprised but didn't show it. She stared at the door as he continued to speak.

"Like I always tell, you. Don't overwork yourself, and..." He paused, looking for the right words to say.

"Don't forget the reason you became an agent."

-/-

After the small talk with her captain, Eli headed to the training facility and started with her usual―brutal workout. She was trained to maintain her physical form and be in top shape each day. Although the agency holds training sessions for the agents every day, her, being in school, interferes with the schedule, so the agency had strictly ordered her to have her own training sessions.

Three hours passed and Eli finished training and arrived home, finding her little sister sound asleep on the couch, seemingly waiting for her. Eli smiled, kissing her sister's forehead before she scooped the younger blonde and transferred her to her room.

_=== Current time: 02:35:19 am_

Sighing, Eli slumped down onto her bed, feeling the ache in her muscles and the emptiness of her stomach as she remembered that she skipped dinner again today.

_It's not like I'm not used to this..._

Eli slowly sat upright, reaching for the bottle on her bedside table, she popped out several pills and consumed it in one go. The blonde grimaced at the bitter taste of the nutrient supplement; however it was normal for her to take these medications due to her habit of skipping meals.

She took out her earpiece from her ear and put it back onto her bedside table along with the bottle.

Without much thought, she slumped down again onto her bed, curled herself in and slept.

-/-

_"I cannot allow this. She's too young; going to that school will scar her for life!" A woman with a dry voice and dirty blonde hair said as she stood up, banging her hands onto the table desperately, looking right into the eye of the one across her._

_"You cannot do anything about it, nor will I even allow you, mother. The papers are set, she's going and that's final." A man with blonde hair and dark blue eyes said, closing off the argument._

_The door was ajar, from there stood a seven year old Eli, a worried expression plastered on her face. She had been listening to the conversation of the two just now._

_"Papa? What's wrong? What are you talking about?" Eli spoke, hesitation evident in her voice as she pushed the door open slightly._

_The two occupants of the room turned to the sound of the meek voice; the woman stood up and kneeled in front of Eli, maintaining eye-level._

_"Nothing, sweetie. You should prepare for your ballet lessons now, Elichika." The woman said, smiling as she pinched Eli's cheeks gently._

_Eli looked at her father, eyebrows still furrowed. Her father gave her a nod and a small smile, Eli smiled back._

_"Okay, grandmother! I'll be ready in a minute!" Eli said cheerfully as she ran off._

_―――_

_"Where are we?" Eight year old Eli asked her father. They were at the gate, in front of huge building, on the right was a big field, and on the left was another building designed like a school._

_"This is a academy, Eli. You'll be staying here for awhile." Eli's father, Ayase Raiden, said with a weak smile._

_"Is that why I had to bring all my stuff? What about my ballet?" Eli questioned._

_Raiden patted the head of Eli as he smiled and said "You'll be taking a break from ballet, you'll have to focus on your studies first."_

_Noticing the hesitation in her eyes, he said "Don't worry, it'll be fun."_

_Eli was silent as the words he said processed in her mind. "Oh... Okay!" The young blonde said, with a cheerful smile_

_―――_

_Eight year old Eli entered the school and was immediately taken to a room to be oriented together with the other kids. She was seated in the front row._

_"Welcome to the Russian Military Academy, also known as RMA. I take it that you all are 7 to 10 year olds?" The man in front said with a stern look._

_Eli gulped but nodded, after hearing the word 'military' she tensed up, and sure enough, the other kids did too._

_"Alright. Your course will take up to 6 years. In this Academy, we implement proper discipline, no playing and no fun. Any misbehavior we see will be punished accordingly." The man said, eyeing each one of them until his eyes landed on Eli._

_"You," He said and Eli flinched, fear present in her eyes. "Stand here." The man said, pointing to the floor, just a meter in front of him._

_Eli stood up slowly, trying not to show fear as she walked to where he pointed._

_The man approached, suddenly, he raised his hand and slapped Eli's cheek, hard. Shocked, Eli put a hand to her cheek as tears started to form in her eyes. She stood there, petrified._

_'Papa... I thought this was going to be fun...' Eli thought as tears spilled, not being able to contain it anymore._

_"Look up." The man said, emotionlessly. Eli stayed there, crying. The man roughly grabbed her chin and tilted it up. Without much remorse, the man punched her in the stomach. Eli gasped as she fell to her knees, hands clutching her stomach, head hung as tears continued to fall from her cheeks._

_"This is a military. We form skilled and disciplined soldiers, not crybabies and immature children." He said as he grabbed Eli's shirt and stood her up then shoved her back to her seat._

_"You will all take up academic education, martial arts lessons, and weaponry training, and we expect you all to excel in all of these aspects, if not, you will be punished."_

_'Grandmother...' Eli cried internally as she sat down, missing the warmth and care her grandmother gave her as she continued to cry._

_'Help me...'_

_―――_

_"Ayase! Keep up! You won't be eating your breakfast at that pace!" Eli's strict instructor yelled at her as he continued to watch over the students. They were ordered to do fifty push-ups as their last workout before they eat breakfast but many of the kids are only at their fifteenth to twentieth push-up, not to mention that they were already exhausted from the other workouts they did._

_Eli did her seventeenth push-up tiredly. Her arms weak from the planks, pull-ups and obstacle course they did._

_'At this rate...' Eli breathed heavily as she did her nineteenth push-up. 'I'll be having another punishment...' Eli thought miserably as she did her twentieth but the sound of the whistle made her stop and stand up._

_Another blow of the whistle ordered her to line up together with the other students. "When I call your name, you will line up here in front of me horizontally." The instructor said his face stoic as he looked at the papers he was holding._

_He called the names of the unfortunate children that were going to have a punishment from the instructor if the number of push-ups they did were below thirty._

_"Ayase." He called. Eli tensed up as she moved forward and lined up. The instructor approached her. "You only did 20, am I correct?" He asked._

_"Yes, sir." Eli said, a tinge of fear present in her voice as she looked straight, avoiding the eyes of her instructor._

_"A 30 minute punishment together with another 30 minute workout after your last class later at night, proceed to Activity Room 89, I will be there to deliver your punishment. No breakfast today. You'll start with your martial arts lessons for now, you know where to go. Dismissed."_

_―――_

_Eli sat on her bed in her dormitory, breathing heavily. She had a gash on both her arms and several cuts and bruises from her punishment, about forty minutes ago._

_"Hah...ah...hah..." Eli's breathing was labored as she tried to even it out. She reached for the first aid kit next to her phone, opened it and started wrapping her left arm with the bandage._

_She managed to clean and treat her wounds well enough for it to last until the next day. Eli then looked to the side and as if on cue, her phone lit up, signaling a call. She quickly picked it up, careful not to hurt her already injured arms. Not even seeing who it was, she answered the call._

_"H-Hello?" A familiar voice from the other line said. It was her grandmother._

_"G-Grandmother?" Tears filled up Eli's eyes as she responded. Hands shaking as she held her phone to her ears, not caring about the strain it was giving her arms._

_"Elichika! Oh my... I was finally able to contact you." Her grandmother said, her voice cracking as she inhaled a shaky breath. The sound of was crying present. Speechless, Eli let her tears freely fall from her eyes._

_"I've been trying to contact you all day... How are you?" Her grandmother asked her voice slightly hoarse._

_Eli's throat constricted. She didn't want her grandmother to know about the experiences she's been having in the school, yet, she also did want her to know. The training and the beatings, she wanted to let everything out, all her pain, to just cry there without a care. But she decided against it._

_"I've been fine. The people here are very...interesting. They like to talk to me a lot." Eli ended her sentence with a forced chuckle. A sigh came from the other line._

_"Take care of yourself―" A cough, followed by another._

_"G-Grandmother...?" Eli asked, worried as she heard more coughs._

_"I-I'm sorry, sweetie." Another cough. "I'm in the hospital right now."_

_All of a sudden, for Eli, time stopped. 'Hospital? What...' Eli thought as her whole body tensed. She stared ahead but her vision was blurred by tears as she heard the continuous coughs of her grandmother._

_"S-Stay strong, my cute and clever..." Her grandmother whispered. "E-Elichika." The sound of the phone falling together with a beep was then heard._

_Only the sound of scrambling footsteps can be heard in the background as well as the shouts of the people arriving. It's as if Eli forgot how to breathe. What did she just hear? What just happened? She put her phone down, not bothering to end the call. Eli stayed in her position for awhile until everything finally sunk in._

_"Grandmother..." Eli whispered silently as she cried there, head hung._

_―――_

_"Argh!" The boy gasped out when ten year old Eli threw him down._

_Eli locked him onto the floor with her leg and delivered the final punch to his face and knocked him out. Eli stared emotionlessly at the blood running down from his nose as she heard the sound of the whistle, ordering her to step out of the mat._

_The other students stared at her as she sat down on her place, quietly._

_Ever since the incident with her grandmother, Eli changed. She lost her joyous personality and positive thoughts and became distant and cold, even up to the point wherein she ignores the calls and messages sent by her father. She didn't do anything but work and train, she didn't even eat much, only a meal a day, the rest she relied on nutrient supplements and water. And it all paid off, Eli became the youngest and best student in the academy, excelling in academic education as well as in various martial arts and weaponry._

_―――_

_After her time at the military school finished, she was finally released and brought outdoors. Fourteen year old Eli stood at the gate as a car pulled up by the pavement. Raiden stepped out of the car and gave a weak smile to Eli in which Eli responded with a shrug._

_Eli then met her father's eyes in which Raiden noticed the drastic change that happened to her. Eli's eyes were drained of all the optimism and shine she had before; her eyes were blank and empty._

_Raiden assisted Eli with her bags as Eli rode the car wordlessly. The trip to her house was quiet; it wasn't long before they arrived there in about six minutes._

_"We're back." Raiden announced as he and Eli entered the house._

_"Onee-chan!" A small and meek voice exclaimed. It was Alisa. Eli's eyes widened at the sound of Alisa's voice and unknowingly, her eyes started to glisten. Alisa ran to Eli and hugged her, repeatedly saying 'Onee-chan!' over and over again as Eli's shirt started to wet with tears._

_"I've missed you...so much..." Alisa whispered as she hugged Eli tighter._

_For the first time in years, Eli showed emotion. The older blonde had tears trailing down her face as she kneeled down and hugged her younger sister, head buried into the crook of the younger blonde's head as she cried._

_"Welcome back." Alisa said sweetly as she smiled to her sister._

_"I'm home." Eli responded through tears._

_―――_

_After a month, Eli and Alisa transferred to Japan. For a week, Raiden accompanied them, after that the two sisters managed on their own. It was their second week in Japan when at noon, Eli ran at the streets after she received a call from her sister, stating that she was near two dirty-looking men staring at her._

_When Eli arrived at the place where Alisa stated she would be, she found no one but Alisa's bag, seemingly thrown onto the floor. Eli looked around and saw an alley wherein footsteps where present. Eli approached the alley and put her back against the wall as she listened._

_"What should we do to her? The usual?" A low and dry voice said, followed by a chuckle._

_"Yeah but...make it worse." Another voice replied evilly as a muffled gasp was heard._

_Eli took a sharp intake of breath, as she heard the small gasp. Immediately she knew that was Alisa. Eli then tilted her head slightly to get a small view of what was happening._

_"Oy! Don't you even try to run away!"_

_Eli's body tensed as she saw Alisa run; unfortunately luck wasn't on her side as she was easily restrained by the two men. Suddenly, one of the men brought out a dagger as the other held Alisa onto the wall._

_"Onee-chan..." Alisa whispered, crying as a rough grip held her arms. "H-Help me..."_

_Eli had enough. As the man raised the dagger, Eli quickly pulled the man holding Alisa, making him let go of the young blonde. Shocked, Alisa's eyes widened as she was pushed out of harm's way._

_The two men were no match for Eli as she swiftly moved to dodge punches and occasional attacks with the knife. With Eli's agility and strength, she managed to deliver hard blows that left the two men on their knees, however, the man with the dagger made a last effort to stab Eli's shoulder as he fell unconscious._

_Eli gasped as she felt pain radiate from her shoulder, she pulled out the dagger from her shoulder, suppressing another pained gasp as she did so._

_"O-Onee-chan!" Alisa shouted as she ran to Eli._

_"A-Alisa..." Eli managed to say as the pain in her shoulder worsened. She fell to her knees as Alisa approached her._

_"Onee-chan! Y-Your...shoulder..." Alisa said in disbelief as she saw the bleeding wound._

_Eli cursed as she felt the blood seep through her clothes. Suppressing a pained groan, she pressed her hand onto her wound in an attempt to lessen the bleeding. Her body felt weak and sure enough, she lost her balance making her use her good arm to support her weight when she fell over._

_"Onee-chan! Onee-chan!"_

_The older blonde barely even heard the cries of her younger sister. Everything was going too slow for her. Eli blinked; her vision was getting hazy as the pain intensified. It was getting dark._

_"Onee-chan..."_

_"A-A...lisa..." Eli said as she succumbed into darkness. The last thing she saw was a man with navy blue hair approach._

_―――_

_Eli's eyes fluttered open, seeing an unfamiliar white ceiling. She was lying on something soft, a bed? 'What...? Where am I?' Eli thought as she blinked more to clear her vision._

_"Onee-chan!" Alisa exclaimed._

_Eli immediately turned her head to the sound of her sister's voice as she tried to get up, only to wince as she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder, she looked at her wounded shoulder and found it bandaged neatly, almost as if a professional doctor did it. Nevertheless, Eli continued to get up and managed to sit upright._

_"Don't... Push yourself too much, Onee-chan." Alisa said worriedly as she held her sister's arm._

_Eli smiled at Alisa and used her good arm to pat her head. "I'm alright, don't worry." She paused. "Where are we?" Eli asked._

_"I'm not sure but... Sonoda-san said we're at EFO." Alisa said unsurely._

_"EFO..." Eli whispered. Her eyebrows furrowed as she remembered what EFO is. 'Papa worked here before... Wait... Who's Sonoda-san?'_

_"Ah. You're awake." A male voice said._

_Eli looked at the sound of the voice and saw a man with navy blue hair and light amber eyes approach. He was holding a folder in his hand and a pen on the other._

_"Yes, Sonoda-san. Onee-chan's awake." Alisa said, smiling. "Thank you for bringing us here and helping Onee-chan."_

_"You're very welcome." The man said, he turned his heel and faced Eli. "It seems like you have a very wonderful sister, Ayase Eli-san."_

_Eli stared at him, shocked. "Who are you? How do you know my name?" Eli asked bluntly._

_"Ah. I apologize for not introducing myself, I am Sonoda Ryuu. Your father, Ayase Raiden, has informed me of you. I'm guessing you already knew of your father working here before, correct?"_

_Eli nodded as she sighed. 'So this is the company I'll be working for?'_

_"Here," Ryuu said as he opened his folder and brought out a document and handed it to her. "You already know what that is." He stated._

_Eli scanned the paper and without a second thought, she signed the contract. She handed the paper back to Ryuu._

_"Are you sure about this?" Ryuu asked._

_"It's not like I've got a choice."_

-/-

Eli jerked awake, breathing heavily as sweat rolled down her face. She closed her eyes, as she tried to forget her dream, or rather, her memories

"W-Why..." Eli mumbled. She forced herself to calm down, shaking off the dream she just had.

After awhile she fixed her composure and figured that it'd be best to prepare for school.

_=== Current time: 05:29:12 am_

Eli took a shower to clear her mind. Once she was finished, she dressed up and made breakfast and packed lunch for Alisa. She sat on the dining table chair as she placed her earpiece back on her ear, scanning some papers to keep herself busy since she usually goes to school later.

After a few minutes, her phone vibrated in her pocket, signaling a text from someone. Eli looked at the message and smiled slightly. It was Umi.

[Sonoda Umi] - Good morning, Eli. Sorry to bother but I'd like to know what time you'd be at school. I'll be having my usual morning practice but I prefer to prepare earlier for the announcement later.

Eli replied quickly.

[Ayase Eli] - Good morning Umi. I'd be at school at around 7 am or maybe earlier. Good luck to you, Kotori and Honoka later!

-/-

_=== Current time: 06:49:27 am_

Eli arrived in school and headed to the auditorium to check on things for the announcement later. It wasn't long before Umi arrived as well.

Umi spotted the blonde who was talking to some other students, occasionally pointing at specific places and saying instructions. "Eli!" Umi called.

The blonde turned to the sound of the familiar voice after she had finished talking with the students.

"Umi! Good morning." Eli replied, smiling, contrary to her usual attitude at the agency.

"What brings you here?" Umi asked as she lowered the papers she was holding, looking around and seeing several students making preparations.

"Just checking some things..." Eli said. "After the announcement, I'll see you in the council room alright? There are things I still need to teach you."

"Thank you. I'll see you then, Eli." Umi smiled.

"No problem." Eli said cheerfully then turned to one of the students. "Hey! Could you move that just a little bit to the side? There! Much better. Good job!"

Ever since Honoka had been decided to succeed Eli as Student Council President, Eli and Nozomi had been teaching the Second Year Trio how things work in the council. Eli and Umi were the ones mostly working together, after that, all the things Umi learned, she would pass onto Honoka and Kotori.

"Eli, are you sure?" Umi asked. Despite Eli's helpful and kind nature, Umi noticed that the blonde pushes herself too much; the dark circles under the blonde's eyes and her tired expression when she looked at her gave it away.

"Why would you ask me that? Of course, I'm sure." Eli replied, avoiding the archer's eyes.

"You've been helping me these past few days and you seem to be overworking yours―Hey!" Umi flinched as the papers she was holding were snatched by the blonde who smirked playfully as she looked through the papers

"Huh? You're not yet finished with this? I told you already what to do in Honoka's house." The blonde teased. "Here, change your answer, and analyze the question better."

"Eli! Don't change the top―"

"Also this question. It's very easy you know how could you not get this right?" Eli chuckled, writing onto the paper.

After several minutes of Umi trying to take the papers back and Eli teasing the archer, the blonde finally let go and gave back the papers.

"Okay, okay, Umi. Here." Eli said, handing the papers back to Umi who took it hastily. "You should get ready with Honoka and Kotori. Make sure everything's alright especially Honoka's speech." The blonde ended.

"Y-Yes..."

"Anyways, I'll be off. Good luck later!"

-/-

(In Episode 1)

"If something comes up, feel free to call us. We'll help out with anything." Eli said.

"Thank you!" Honoka replied cheerfully to Eli's offer while Umi and Kotori smiled.

"Come to think of it," Umi said, turning to face the blonde. "Eli, you wanted to teach me about something?"

"Yup! We should get started." Eli said, walking over to the archer and grasping her left shoulder gently. "Nozomi, you can teach the other two about what we talked about, I'll just have a word with Umi then I'll teach her about it."

"I'm on it!" Nozomi replied, scooting over to Honoka and Kotori.

"Thank you." The blonde said to Nozomi before she held the archer's wrist and lead her outside the Student Council Office.

As Eli and Umi exited the office, a sudden headache hit Eli, causing her to accidentally tighten her grip on Umi's wrist and grit her teeth. _Not again..._ Eli cursed internally as she remembered the events of yesterday, some EFO staff checked and tweaked the chip in her head.

"Eli...?" Umi asked, noticing the action. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Nothing, just...wanted to ask." Umi said smiling awkwardly. The blonde forced a smile in response as the pain in her head continued to throb.

"Let's get started then," Eli said, masking the pain in her head. "I just wanted to advice you with something..."

-/-

After a long day at school, the members of μ's were walking home together after they had decided as a group that they will enter Love Live! and aim for victory.

"Everyone! Let's give it our all!" Honoka exclaimed energetically, raising arm with her hand clenched into a fist.

"Yeah!" The rest of the members said altogether as they continued to walk.

Eli smiled at the group's enthusiasm upon the event; however, it would become a great burden on her since more practices and rehearsals means less time for agency work, leading to less sleep.

Sighing, the blonde reached up to her earpiece and pressed the button situated on it.

_=== Received Message: RSC._

_"View."_ Eli commanded in a whisper, careful not to catch the attention of the other members.

_=== [Ayase, be at the agency in 30 minutes. A meeting with the higher-ups will commence by that time. Don't be late and be prepared.]_

The blonde sighed once more, as she turned around to face the one nearest to her: Umi.

"Umi," Eli said, quickly drawing the attention of the junior. "Can I go ahead? Alisa's waiting for me at home."

"Oh," Umi replied. "Alright, take care okay? And..."

The archer pulled out a small paper bag from her school bag, avoiding the blonde's eyes in the process before she continued. "You...seemed tired since morning so I figured..." Umi says in a meek voice as she handed over the bag.

_Umi is really caring._ Eli thought, smiling as she patted the archer's head.

"I'll be going now. Thank you, Umi."

-/-

"I'm home." Umi announced, slipping off her shoes as she entered the household.

"Welcome back." A gentle and female voice replied.

Walking into the kitchen, she found her mother cooking dinner. The dinner table was already set, with Umi noticing that there were only two plates. She frowned.

"Is father not having dinner with us?" Umi inquired, already expecting the same answer she had had several times before.

"I'm afraid not dear; he has a meeting in the agency, he even left the house in a rush." Her mother replied with a sad tone.

"Oh," The archer mumbled, pausing before she spoke. "I'll be in my room."

"I'll call you when it's dinner time, honey!" Her mother said in an attempt to cheer her up as Umi left without another word.

Entering her room, the archer set her bag on top of her desk and removed her blazer, hanging it neatly in her closet. She then sat on her chair, grabbed a piece of paper and pencil, and proceeded to write down her schedule.

_Love Live... Martial Arts competition... Archery tournament... Dance exhibit..._

The archer sighed. "Another hectic schedule, huh?" She mumbled before hanging the written schedule and starting on her homework.

-/-

Eli stood at the side of her seated captain as the other people in the room continued to discuss.

"Sonoda," said the head of the laboratory department. "Ayase, will be tested and experimented in various ways if chose to take on this mission."

"I am well aware of that and I'm sure Ayase is too." Ryuu replied, no emotion evident in his voice.

"A pain endurance and training session will be added to her schedule as well." Another head said, scribbling onto some paper in the process.

"Regarding that, I will need to see through the plan." Ryuu said, although he maintained his stoic demeanor, he appeared to be quite defensive.

"So, what will it be then?" said the overall head. "Ayase, will you take on this mission?"

The whole room was then silent, waiting for the blonde's response. After discussing many aspects of the mission and the preparation needed before the mission will commence, all it takes is for Eli to say no and the mission will be abandoned.

"I will do the duties expected of me, no matter how dangerous or risky it will be."

-/-

Taking a deep breath, Umi held her concentration on her target as she released the arrow. With a loud thud, the arrow missed the bulls eye for an only about several centimeters.

Umi stared at the target for a few seconds before she sighed and set her bow down for a moment. She then loaded another arrow and proceeded to shoot at the target once more, aiming for the center once more.

Discipline. Focus. Those were the things she was taught ever since she was little. Her parents trained and raised her to follow those two concepts. While training for martial arts, traditional dance or archery, she would always be reminded to be disciplined and focused, especially in archery.

Sighing, Umi sat down onto the dojo's floor after shooting the last arrow which almost hit the center. After minutes of complete silence, Umi then stood up and kept her archery equipment before she headed towards the martial arts dojo.

_I'll just train for a few minutes before going to bed..._

-/-

The meeting ended about an hour ago, Eli was now being interrogated by each of the department heads otherwise known as the higher-ups. As always, Eli stayed stoic as ever, it was almost as if she was a robot, always giving intelligent and logical answers while emotion was not present in any way.

Another hour passed and finally, Eli was dismissed and was now left alone in her dorm. She leaned onto the wall and covered her eyes with her hand, exhausted from putting up with her emotionless mask and stoic demeanor.

Eli sighed as she stood up, knowing that she isn't doing anything productive, she brought out her training uniform and started changing. Her uniform is mainly composed of black boots, pants, and a navy blue shirt if training alone or a black shirt when training with other agents. After changing, she headed for the training facility.

"Oy! Ayase!" A voice called making Eli stop abruptly, the same emotionless mask present on her face despite the fact that she dreaded to see the one that called her: Satoshi Hiroki

"Ayase, what are you still doing here? It's already late." Satoshi mentioned with a somewhat concerned tone, approaching the blonde. He was a boy in his early twenties, he had brown hair and dark green eyes, contrary to Eli's stoic and reserved disposition, he was carefree and open; he always had a smile plastered on his face whenever out of duty in work.

"Mind your own business, Satoshi." Eli replied nonchalantly, not even bothering to look back. It was true though, it was already eleven at night, she even had school the next day but nonetheless she didn't bother, having used to it anyway.

"Whoa, easy there, Ayase. That's not how you talk to someone older that you." The brunette said, chuckling and holding the blonde's shoulder in the process.

Eli didn't respond, simply waiting for him to not mind her anymore.

"So, I heard you have an important mission to take care of, how's it going?" The older of the two asked, slinging his arm over Eli's shoulder and poking her cheeks.

"It's none of your concern." The blonde spat, having enough of him and walking away without another word.

"I'm never going get a straight answer from you, huh?" Satoshi mumbled with a sigh. "You're the same as always." The brunette laughed to himself, walking away as well.

Eli sighed internally as she finally arrived at the training facility. The facility was basically a very large room; there were white spots on the floor indicating the places where the agents should be during training programs. Since the organization uses more refined technology, the facility has many advanced features that can be used by the agents and trainers, namely, agent training and analysis, custom workouts, fight imitation, and many more.

Using the chip inputted in her head, she connected to the facility and started up her training program, acquiring a slight headache from it.

She looked around before clutching her forehead, the pain intensifying. _Why is it hurting again? This is the 3rd time for this week._ The blonde pondered.

Once the pain had lessened, Eli breathed deeply and started with the program, not minding the continuous throbbing pain in her head.

_=== Current time: 11:58:49 pm_

-/-

_Thud. Eli's beaten form fell onto the concrete floor, blood dripping from various parts of her body while bruises and cuts littered everywhere. The blonde was breathing heavily as a figure towered over her._

_The figure kicked the blonde at her abdomen, causing her to groan as pain wrecked her entire being. The figure then kneeled; roughly grabbing the disheveled hair of Eli's and pulling it up, bringing their faces closer, the figure inspected her face before smirking and banging her head down with great force._

_Eli's head made contact with the floor, hard, making her head spin and her ears ring. The pain was too much. The blonde could barely see anymore; it was all blurry and before she knew it, a sharp pain pierced her forearm, feeling liquid run in her veins._

_A new sudden searing pain erupted in her chest, almost as if she was being burned alive. She thrashed around, gasping and rasping, trying to suppress the scream that was trying to claw out of her mouth; she was never going to give anyone the satisfaction of hearing her scream._

_The pain continued for what seems like hours, it finally stopped but left a lingering pain all throughout her body._

_Without much remorse, the figure grabbed the blonde's neck and lifted her up, bringing out a small knife. The figure aimed his knife directly at her heart and thrust the knife through._

-/-

Umi bolted upright, eyes wide, drenched in sweat, and her heart beating fast. She gripped the blanket that was covering her lower body, trying to control her heavy breathing and rapid heartbeat before she whispered.

"Eli..."

 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Simple actions can cover even the darkest of secrets.

-/-

_Being an agent was never my choice. I was dragged into this without my consent and still continued on. There was really no motivation for me to pursue this, I just did, and maybe I knew that, even after I finish my schooling, I will never be able to make my own choice._

_I'm being treated like a robot, always being manipulated by the owner and decisions are made by someone else; programmed to be perfect in every aspect. Despite all of this, I just wonder, how long can my body keep up?_

-/-

(Between Episode 2)

"Everyone! We'll cut practice from here; we'll just polish some steps when we get back." Eli announced to the group while sinking into the sofa of the villa.

"Eh?! I want to practice more, Eli-chan!" Honoka pouted to the blonde with Rin joining in.

"Rin is energized already nya! I want to practice more too!"

Eli sighed while smiling at the two. "That won't do, Honoka and Rin. I insist that you all will rest for awhile. We've been practicing non-stop since yesterday; it's fitting for a break." The blonde said to the two, patting their heads when they continued to pout.

On the other side of the sofa, was Umi, quietly observing the blonde's actions. Her dream the other day hadn't left her mind, leading her to carefully watch over the older girl.

With thoughts preoccupying her mind, she didn't even notice Eli settle next to her after dealing with her two juniors.

"Umi," Eli said with no response from the archer. "Umi." She repeated, still no answer. Eli then sighed once more before she held the second year's shoulder and turned her, making them face each other. "Umi!"

"Y-Yes!" Umi flinched, meeting the sharp cerulean eyes of the blonde staring right at her amber orbs. She noticed the closeness of their faces and blushed slightly before Eli pulled back.

"Finally. Are you okay? You seem to be spacing out and you look a bit red, do you have a fever?" Eli asked, placing her hand onto the archer's neck and forehead.

"I-I'm fine." Umi stated, taking the blonde's wrist and moving it away.

Eli stared at the archer with a worried look but nonetheless, she let it go. "If you say so." She said sharply.

Without another word, Eli stood up and walked away, heading for where a certain purple haired girl was.

-/-

"Nozomi, why..." Maki muttered, her arm shaking while gripping a stick with a red colored tip. The rest of the members also had sticks with different tips.

"Oh, Maki-chan! You're with me and Nicochi!" Nozomi exclaimed with a wide grin on her face, clearly pleased by the results of their assignments for who's going to sleep with whom.

The results are as follows: Nico, Nozomi and Maki, Kotori and Honoka, Rin and Hanayo, and lastly, Eli and Umi.

-/-

Setting down her things, Eli looked at the archer who she was sharing the room with. Since the villa had bedrooms that aren't being used, Nozomi figured it'd be nice to use them. Despite Eli and Umi being paired up, Umi's unusual behavior didn't escape the group's notice, especially Eli's.

Ever since practice, Umi's performance wasn't exactly different but her focus was somewhere else. There was also several times in which she was spacing out, but nevertheless, she still guided the group in their practice.

_=== Current time: 8:47:24 pm_

"Umi," Eli called at the archer who was fixing her things.

"Yes...?" Umi replied, avoiding the blonde's gaze. The dream she had still bothered her, it wasn't any kind of dream she had before, and it seemed too vivid, as if she was really there, witnessing Eli being beaten up by someone.

"Are you okay?" The blonde asked.

"W-What makes you ask that question? I'm fine." Umi replied, stuttering slightly and continuing to avoid the blonde's gaze before Eli hummed in response.

After about five silent minutes with occasional sounds of things moving, the both finished fixing their things for the next day and changed their sleep wear for the night.

"You can take the bed." Eli broke the silence, standing up and heading towards the door.

"Huh?" Umi said. "What do you mean?"

"You need a good night's rest and besides, you're probably not used to having someone next to you when sleeping since we only have 1 bed." Eli said, chuckling a bit. "I'll just go ask Maki if she has a futon I can borrow."

"O-Okay..." Umi replied as the blonde left the room.

-/-

_=== Current time: 12:52:46 pm_

_=== Utility Activate: Night vision_

Eli grit her teeth as she felt the effects of the utility kick in. _9th time..._

Regardless of her throbbing head, she glanced to the side and looked over the sleeping figure on the bed. She smiled slightly, remembering the figure fall asleep as soon as her head met the pillow. _She must've been worn out._ Eli thought before turning her attention back to the folder in her hands.

The blonde was seated at the sofa of the balcony outside the room. Despite the dim light source emitting from the moon, she continued to stare at the folder containing papers that was given to her before, during, and after the meeting.

_EFO File 442_

_Name: Takeo Takahashi_

_Occupation: Owner of Takeo Industry_

_Well-known medicine manufacturer._

_Suspected to be the cause of most crimes in Japan._

_Over 57 cases of crimes have suspected this industry to be causing it._

_—_

_Report 15 - Dead Emaciated Bodies Found at the Turf of Takeo Industries._

_Retrieved from - JPND (Japan News Daily)_

_Bodies were identified to be two teenagers and an adult. All three seemed to be tortured until they reached the point of death. The bodies were then left outside one of the buildings inside the turf of Takeo Industries. Several bloody footsteps were also present but left no trace as to where they came from._

Eli sighed after reading the excerpt, finding pictures of the dead bodies at the bottom of the page. The blonde however, had seen worse sights than that before. She continued to flip through the papers, reading almost everything and acquiring the most important and crucial information needed for the mission.

About fifteen minutes had passed and a quiet groan was heard from the sleeping figure on the bed.

Umi woke up, rubbing eyes once or twice to clear her blurry vision. She then threw off the blankets gently off her and sat upright slowly, turning her head to the side where Eli...was supposed to be.

She then looked around, wondering—and slightly worrying, where in the world would the blonde be. Her eyes then landed onto the balcony where she found the blonde.

Breathing a quiet sigh of relief, she stood up and headed towards where the blonde was.

"Eli." Umi called, somehow in a form of a whisper.

The blonde looked back to see the archer approach nearer, in haste she tucked the papers back into the folder and hid it beside her, just as Umi arrived.

"Ah, Umi." Eli said and gave a small grin before she scooted over to the left side of the sofa, making space for the archer.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Eli asked with a slightly apologetic tone in her voice as Umi sat down next to her.

"No, I..." Umi said, a yawn interrupting her statement. "I...just woke up." She said with a nervous chuckle as a blush crept into her cheeks and she averted her gaze from the blonde to the forest and mountain.

"Oh okay." Eli said in response.

"How about you then?" Umi asked, leaning onto the blonde unconsciously as they both stared at the scenery in front of them.

"I couldn't sleep." Eli responded. "Somehow, this place is makes a good spot for reflecting." She chuckled.

"Oh." Umi said. "I understand."

A few silent seconds passed and a yawn escaped from the archer. Eli watched intently as Umi rubbed her eyes with her hand after she laid her head on the blonde's shoulder. Out of curiosity, Eli gently rubbed the top of the archer's head which in turn Umi responded by closing her eyes and nuzzling the side of her head against Eli's neck.

Eli giggled at her response. "You're very childlike aren't you, Umi?" _You're so adorable too..._

"...Eh?" Umi replied sleepily, apparently deaf to what Eli just said. "I'm sorry, Eli. What did you say?"

"I was just asking what's on your mind." Eli changed her previous question, choosing not to tease the latter so as to keep her close to her, knowing that she would burst beet red and move away if she mentioned her original statement.

"Oh." Umi said in a monotone.

Eli noticed the change in her voice and spoke. "You seem to have been spacing out several times during practice. I was worried about you so I cut practice short."

Umi didn't answer, her thoughts drifting into the dream she had from the other day, debating whether or not to tell Eli about it or not. _Is it better in, or out?_

"Umi," Eli's voice interrupted her train of thoughts as she felt an arm wrap itself around her, somehow making her feel relaxed and secure. "It's alright if you don't want to tell me, I'm not forcing you. I'm always here for you if you need me, okay?"

Umi's eyes widened slightly as another blush painted her cheeks. _How can someone make you feel so safe and cared?_ Umi smiled internally at the thought, almost giggling. She nodded in response to Eli's kind words and concluded: _As if my dream would ever be true._

"Thank you, Eli." She said, turning to the blonde and smiling.

"Anytime." Was Eli's response, smiling as well before she averted her gaze from the archer and faced the scenery she was observing awhile ago.

However, unlike Eli, Umi's eyes were traveling all throughout Eli's face until it landed onto a scar on the left side of forehead. Although it was covered mostly by her bangs, a small part of it was visible if you're able to look carefully.

"Eli." Umi called out, removing her head from Eli's shoulder to face her.

"Hmn?" Eli asked before turning to face the archer, finding her eyes glued onto a certain area of her face. "Is there something on my face?"

"May I?"

"Sure..."

Gently, Umi's fingers brushed away Eli's bangs that were in the way and true enough; there was a scar that was almost about two inches long and seemed to have just healed up recently, leaving behind a scar.

"Did you happen to have been cut or something, Eli?" Umi questioned, not even noticing the closeness of both of their faces.

"Ah, yes. I accidentally cut myself, don't worry about it, haha..." Eli said normally but there was a hint of nervousness in her voice.

"How did you cut yourself on your forehead?"

"I-I wonder how too, haha... A-Anyway, let's sleep now shall we?" Eli said as she stood up and headed to her bed without looking at the archer.

Umi, though confused, got on her feet and headed to her bed.

-/-

The next morning came too early for Eli, only having about four hours of sleep, nevertheless she woke up to a warm feeling on her back. Confused, tried to turn around but stopped when she saw navy blue in her vision.

"Umi..." The blonde whispered, smiling before she turned slowly to face the sleeping girl and encircled her arms around her.

_How cute..._ Eli thought, wrapping her arms around the second year's head and gently stroking her long blue hair.

_Maybe, I'll sleep just a bit more..._

-/-

"Umi... It's time to wake up." Eli hummed softly as she gently shook the blue haired girl who was unusually clinging onto her.

"Mhn..." Umi responded unconsciously, tucking her face into the blonde's chest. _Soft..._

"Umi..." Eli said, blushing slightly as Umi rested her head on her chest. _This is bad..._

"Umi." _If the others were to come here..._

"Wake up..." _We'll be teased on end..._

Slowly, the archer's eyes fluttered open; the first thing she saw was light blue: Eli's shirt. A red hue then spread onto Umi's cheeks as she realized what she had been doing, and what position they were in. Immediately she backed away, her hands covering her mouth.

"S-Sorry! I-I...uhh..." Umi said, frantically trying to look for words to say as she turned her head side to side, avoiding the blonde's eyes as her hands waved in front of her defensively.

"What are you apologizing for?" Eli chuckled, relieved that Umi woke up before the other members came, although there was still a light blush on her cheeks.

The blonde giggled when Umi was left speechless, not knowing how to respond.

"Come on, let's prepare breakfast for the others, or do you still want to cuddle up more?" Eli teased making the latter blush harder.

"E-Eli!" Umi pouted as the blonde took her hand and pulled her up.

"Hehe... Let's go then."

-/-

"Are we almost there?" Nico asked, crossing her arms as she leaned onto the train's window.

"Not yet, Nico-chan. How many times do I have to tell you?" Maki said as she tried to relax on her seat, ignoring the mumbling of the dark haired girl beside her.

"How troublesome." Nozomi commented, laughing slightly, earning glares from the two.

"Kayo-chin, my legs are stiff, Rin needs to move around!" Rin whined, stretching her arms and legs out while Hanayo giggled and patted Rin's head.

"I believe its best if everyone keeps it down, we might be bothering other passengers." Umi said.

"Okay..." The other members agreed and quieted down.

"Honoka-chan's asleep." Nozomi said, smiling.

"Oh, Kotori-chan too." Hanayo mentioned as well, looking at the ashen grey haired girl sleeping with her iconic pillow.

"I think we should all get a little bit of sleep, it's still a long way and we'll be practicing for a while once we get there." Eli said and the members agreed once more.

"Hey, Umi," The blonde said, grinning as she turned to the archer who was sitting next to her.

"Yes, Eli?" Umi replied as usual, turning her attention to the blonde.

"Cuddle?" Eli teased, giggling while the archer burst into beet red and faced away from her.

"Come on, Umi... How are we going to cuddle you're facing the other way..." Eli said with a playful tone, wrapping her arms on the latter's neck and making her flinch.

"S-S-Shameless!"

"Okay, okay." Eli giggled as she placed her hand on the top of Umi's head and patted her. "You should get some sleep then, I won't bother you anymore." She said, standing up.

"W-Where are you going?" Umi asked as Eli pulled her hand away from her head, making her somewhat miss the contact. _Wait what?_

"J-Just going to check something, I'll be right back." The blonde said and left hurriedly without another word.

Eli stepped into another train cabin and sat onto an unoccupied seat, as soon as she was out of sight from the other members, immediately she clutched her head; it's been aching since after breakfast and worsened when she got onto the train.

_=== Received Message: RSC. (30 minutes ago.)_

_"View."_ Eli commanded, clutching her head tighter when a sharp pain pierced both sides of her head.

_=== [Ayase, once you are done with practice, head to the agency and prepare yourself. The operation head requested you specifically to do a mission. He'll brief you on the details once you arrive. Be careful in this mission but still follow the orders given to you.]_

_=== [Other heads have also requested your presence; they will be starting with the tests and experiments. You'll be inspected first by me and the aid department beforehand.]_

_=== [Lastly, you are assigned to a new trainer. He's Takeshi Sho. Again, be careful, he's usually violent during training sessions and will likely shout and punish you for his own pleasure.]_

_=== [That's it for this message; I hope you've rested well. You'll be flooded with work once you're back so do enjoy yourself with your friends as much as you can.]_

"Aghhh..." The blonde groaned; the strain from just reading the long message caused the pain in her head to increase momentarily.

Once the pain had settled slightly, she leaned back onto the seat and sighed. _As if I'll ever get any rest... At least being with μ's keeps me emotionally stable._

Eli stood up and started walking back to where the other members were after she rested for a bit. She approached her seat wherein Umi was asleep. She took off her jacket and draped it over the sleeping girl's body before she sat down.

The blonde then heard a light ruffled sound and felt a slight movement next to her, she turned to the side to see if Umi had woken but stopped when the archer's head rested on her shoulder.

Eli smiled, "That's the second time, Umi..." She muttered with a light chuckle before she closed her eyes and slept alongside the archer.

-/-

"See you tomorrow, everyone!" Eli exclaimed as she ran off hurriedly while waving at the rest of the members.

As Eli was soon out of sight, Nozomi and Umi sighed at the same time, causing them to exchange glances before they came to an understanding that they were sighing about the same thing: Eli.

"Eli-chan's been leaving early for a while now, nya..." Rin mentioned; a frown on her face.

"Now that you've mentioned it, she has been... Even before we held our training camp." Honoka said, looking at the members who had the same furrow in their eyebrows her.

"Eli must be hiding something." Nico concluded with a matter-a-fact tone.

"Maybe but she's still acting normal around us." Maki argued Nico's statement but before the dark haired girl could argue back, Hanayo joined in.

"That's right, maybe she just needs to help out at home or she's doing a job." The brunette said with her usual low and quiet voice.

"That must be it then." Kotori said and the other members nodded their head in agreement except for Nico who just turned her head to the side with a huff.

"What do you think, Umi-chan?" Nozomi, who was quiet the whole time, asked the second year who was seemingly trying to avoid being dragged into the conversation by facing away and rummaging her bag for no apparent reason. Unfortunately, at the mention of Umi's name, all heads turned to the blue haired archer.

"Eh...? Why me?" Umi asked; confused as she looked at the other members who were all staring at her.

"You and Eli slept together in the training camp right?" Nico said nonchalantly.

"S-S-Slept to-together?!" Umi exclaimed, her face turning as red as Maki's hair, while her face contorted into a shocked expression.

"Not that!" Maki cleared up, her face red as well as the rest of the μ's members before she threw an accusing glare to Nico who seemed to be unaware of her choice of words.

"W-What do you mean then?" The blue haired archer asked with a small voice, still shook from the last question.

"Do you think Elichi's hiding something from us?" Nozomi asked seriously and the atmosphere changed; everyone became silent as they stared at Umi, waiting for an answer.

"It's not our business to pry." Umi said while looking down. "Eli seems to be acting normal around us and I don't see why we have to doubt her. If she is hiding something from us, I believe that she will eventually open up to all of us or if not, at least one or two of us because..."

Silence.

"Umi-chan?" Honoka asked quietly as she looked expectantly at the archer.

Umi took a deep breath and looked to the side before she continued. "Even someone as responsible and intelligent as Eli, will need a helping hand at times of need."

Nozomi smiled and surely the other members did too as they understood what Umi said. _Is Umi getting attached to Elichi?_

"There we have it then." The purple haired girl said with a grin. "So I take it that everyone knows what to do now?"

The members smiled and agreed enthusiastically, nodding their heads and raising their thumbs before Honoka and Kotori ran to their blue haired childhood friend, hugging her.

"That was great, Umi-chan!" Honoka exclaimed, tightening the embrace.

"Ho-Honoka?! K-Kotori?!" Umi stuttered, her voice muffled due to the hug.

"I didn't know you knew a lot about Eli-chan!" Kotori said with her usual high and bubbly voice while she joined Honoka in making the hug tighter as Umi desperately tried to wiggle herself out of the embrace.

"W-What are you saying, Kotori?!" The blue haired archer said, a blush creeping into her cheeks.

"Hey, hey, Umi-chan! Tell me more about Eli-chan!" Honoka teased as she and Kotori continued to hug the blue haired girl who was clearly embarrassed.

"H-Honoka?!"

"Did you two do anything during the training camp?"

"K-Kotori?!"

"Tell us, Umi-chan!"

-/-

(After Episode 2)

"Your mission will start at 10 pm. You'll be sent to Kobe by helicopter at 8 pm, be at the take off location by 7:30 pm." The operations head said as he passed several pieces of paper to Eli.

The blonde took it and bowed slightly, saying a stern 'thank you' before the man turned his back on her.

"You have two goals for this mission. First, restrain the targets like you always do, but before that, you'll have to retrieve a bit of information from the targets; that is your second goal. To get that information, you need to act weak and let them beat you until the time is right for you to attack and force them to answer you." The operations head said in a monotone. "Do you understand, Ayase?"

"Yes, sir." Eli replied as she saluted.

"Very well. Prepare yourself, the helicopter will arrive soon."

"Understood."

-/-

Eli coughed after another kick was delivered to her ribs. She grunted in pain as the man pulled her up and brushed away Eli's blonde locks away from her face before the man held her by her chin, a finger laid onto her lips.

"Such a beauty," The man whispered, his eyes filled with lust. "Maybe I should just turn you into a slave... or better yet, a prostitute?"

Eli hissed in which the man smirked and slapped her face in response, making her fall to the ground. He brandished a knife while he grasped Eli's wrist and made a cut on her forearm before he gestured to his two companions who came and grabbed her by her arms.

"Take her to our place and do the usual." He said, turning his back on them.

The man expected a reply but heard none; he scowled as he turned once more, only to find Eli pointing a gun at him.

"What the—"

_BANG!_

"Agh!"

The man cried out, falling onto his knees and clutching his shoulder with his other arm as blood seeped through his clothes. Eli approached slowly; unsheathing a knife from her jacket and holding it out in front of her before she roughly grabbed the collar of the man's shirt, making him shake in fear and raise his hands up in surrender.

Eli pressed the knife on the man's throat in a threatening manner but still keeping it firm and ready to slice. Her blank eyes met the angry and scared ones of the man.

"Answer me." Eli spoke, no emotion laced in her voice but the man responded by backing away slightly, making Eli lean forward to continue to press the knife on his throat.

"Who do you work for?"

"Tch, as if I'll ans—"

Eli didn't hesitate as she deepened the pressure on the knife; enough to draw out blood, making the man discontinue his sentence. "Answer or _die_."

"Ta-Takeo! Takeo Industries!" The man said frantically.

"Are there other groups like this?"

"I didn't sign up for another—"

In one swift and accurate movement, Eli mercilessly made a deep gash on his wounded shoulder, causing more blood to seep through.

"A-Alright! Yes! There are more groups like this! They're scattered all throughout Japan as well!"

"Where do your orders come from?"

"W-We don't know exactly where but it comes to us as papers from the head tower, the person who sent it keeps his name hidden but the initials are Y and S..."

As soon as the man finished speaking, Eli knocked his head down onto the ground, rendering him unconscious.

Eli sighed as she stood up; wavering slightly on her feet as she finally felt the pain from her wounds. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to ignore the pain before reaching up to her earpiece.

_=== Current time: 12:01:23am_

_=== Operation no. 28_

_=== Status: Complete_

_"Data send, OHD."_

She walked away from where the three men were left, Eli then stayed at a secluded and private spot while waiting for the agency's response. In the meantime, she proceeded to treat her injuries.

The most obvious injury of course, was the one on her left forearm: a long cut. She took off her jacket and sighed at the sight of blood, some fresh, some dry. _Well, at least it's on my left._ Eli thought while placing a bandage over the wound for now.

After dealing with her arm, she stood up and placed a hand to her side causing her to wince at the pain. _Bruised ribs..._ Eli deduced, sighing once more.

_=== Received Message: OHD_

_"View."_

_=== [Good work. Head back, the helicopter and medic is waiting for you. Make your report once you arrive at the agency, leave it at my table, I'll be expecting it later today.]_

Eli cursed internally at the message but still followed the order and started heading back to where she was dropped off. _Report, school work... I'm not sleeping today aren't I?_

-/-

"There, make it quick, Ayase." The man said to the blonde who entered the office.

She walked briskly to the desk and placed the folder she was carrying on it before she turned around and exited the office, giving a monotonous 'thank you' before heading off to her dorm.

_=== Current time: 2:15:36am_

"Ayase."

Eli turned to where the voice came from and saw the experiment head approach. She saluted and bowed on instinct.

"I believe you have school today, correct?" He asked.

"Yes, sir." Eli replied her face stoic as usual. "I'm on my way to my dorm to pack my belongings and head home; however, if you will need my presence in anyway, I will abide to your orders."

"I see you are trained well by your _previous_ captain. Head to the laboratory by 5 am. We'll be tagging you for our experiments, wear your training uniform. In the meantime, you may train or treat your injuries." The experiment head said, gesturing to the blonde's bandaged arm.

"Yes, sir." Eli said.

"That's it then. I'll see you later."

-/-

"We'll be starting, Ayase." A slightly muffled voice said.

Eli lay on her stomach, her arms, legs, lower back, and neck secured with metal restraints. Two masked men were hovering over her, both covered in white.

"Yes, sir." The blonde replied, internally preparing herself for what was to come.

The sound of a motor buzzing was heard as cold hands held her back, pinning her.

Eli bit back a sudden gasp of pain when the needle pierced her skin as she winced visibly. She gnashed her teeth and closed her eyes tightly, enduring the pain emitting from her shoulder blade.

A few agonizing seconds passed and finally the last letter was etched onto her skin.

The needle was retracted, along with the hands that held her as she breathed heavily. The metal restraints were then unlocked and Eli slowly pushed herself up and sat down, she was bare in her black sports bra and shorts.

A throbbing pain continued to reverberate on her back but she masked the pain, not allowing it to show.

"Proceed to the aid department and have the tag checked. Hiroki is outside, he'll escort you there. After that, come back here. We'll be testing amphetamines and other medicines." The man who had held her said.

"Yes, sir." Eli said in response, standing up and saluting before walking to the exit.

_It's going to be a long day, huh?_

-/-

"Eli-chan's not here?" Honoka asked the two third years.

"I'm afraid not." Nozomi said with a confused and worried face. "Elichi doesn't usually skip school, I wonder what happened."

"It's a change of pace isn't it?" Nico said. "Who knows, maybe she'll come here after school."

"Maybe." Nozomi replied with a sigh.

"She might have overslept or something, I'm sure she's alright." Kotori chimed in, hoping to lessen the worry of the purple haired girl.

"Oversleeping doesn't seem to be something that Eli will do." Umi said, countering Kotori's statement.

"My thoughts exactly." Nozomi said, agreeing with Umi.

"Well, maybe she caught a cold or something." Honoka said unsurely. "How about let's visit her after practice?" She suggested with a nervous laugh.

"Where does she live though?" Nico asked, looking expectantly at Nozomi and Umi.

Silence ensued between the five of them. A few seconds passed and still no one answered Nico's question, even Nozomi who supposedly knows Eli the most.

"You don't know?!" Nico, Kotori, and Honoka exclaimed, shocked looks on their faces. This made Nozomi and Umi take a step backwards at their reaction.

"E-Elichi told me..." Nozomi said hesitantly, avoiding the eyes of her friends.

"And?"

"I forgot..."

"Ehhh?!"

-/-

At the desk of a dimly lit office, stood Ryuu. He was flipping through some papers on his desk, after a minute of looking for the right document; he turned his heel but still kept his eyes onto the paper for a few seconds.

"Ayase—" He called but cut off his sentence when he saw the blonde had dozed off in the sofa, her face peacefully asleep and her body relaxed unlike her usual tense muscles.

Ryuu sighed. "You didn't get to sleep today, did you?" He whispered, taking off his blazer and draping it over Eli's torso.

_"Ayase! Wake up!" A man shouted at the blonde who had accidentally dozed off in her dorm._

_Eli awoke and stood up immediately, a wave of dizziness washed over her and she wavered in her footing, almost tripping over._

_"Pathetic." The man said before delivering a hard punch to the blonde's face and a kick to her stomach. She fell to her knees trying to suppress her coughs._

_"What are you doing, Ichiro?!" Ryuu interrupted, running to the fallen girl who was clutching her stomach yet still trying to stand up._

_"She just slept in the middle of duty. That's unacceptable." Ichiro said nonchalantly, glaring at Eli who was still in pain._

_"You've been working her for 24 hours straight! Do you not have any mercy?!" Ryuu argued, his face filled with rage as he supported the blonde, her whole body shaking as a new found pain assaulted her head, trying her best to stay upright._

_"Your rules are different from mine, Ryuu. She's one of the agents I handle; she abides to my rules and orders." Ichiro argued back, his face emotionless as ever._

_"She's one of the best agents as well! This isn't healthy! If you don't care about her well being then I might as well be her captain instead of you."_

Ryuu grimaced at the memory, especially after he took her in; Eli's body was covered with bruises, not from missions but from Ichiro's beating sessions.

Due to her time being handled by Ichiro, Eli had perfected her emotionless mask; as if she was treated like a robot all this time. Ryuu hated to see that, he hated to see Eli force herself to do anything that she's ordered to despite the fact that she's already at the brink of unconsciousness due to her tired and overworked body.

Since then, Ryuu had become protective of Eli. Being a father himself, he always made sure that Eli was healthy and well, however, Eli usually disregards his orders of not overworking herself but despite that, she was less prone to fainting and other health problems.

"We'll continue later then." Ryuu said, lightly patting Eli's head before he walked to the door to his office and locked it.

-/-

Eli's eyes slowly fluttered open, she blinked once more to clear her vision and she saw the familiar office of her captain. In panic, she hastily took off the _bla—blazer?_

"Stay calm, Ayase." A voice spoke.

She turned to the sound of the voice and found her captain in his chair flipping through some papers and was missing his usual blazer that was draped on his shoulders.

"H-Heichou...?" Eli said, her voice sounding a bit hoarse.

"Did you manage to rest?" Ryuu asked quietly, his eyes meeting Eli's cerulean ones.

"Yes, sir..." Eli replied hesitantly.

"So your sister was right when she told me that you overwork yourself..." Ryuu joked as he saw Eli's face turn red, very unusual of her to do due to her usually stoic demeanor.

"H-Heichou..." Eli said, trying to fight back the blush that was already on her cheeks.

"Alright, alright. Go to the training facility, Takeshi is waiting. After that, go home and get some more rest. Umi says your group will be having a live coming up, you'll need your energy to be in top shape for that live."

"Yes, sir." Eli said, standing up and giving back her captain's blazer before walking out the office.

-/-

"Ayase! 10 more reps! You should be used to this already! Faster!"Takeshi yelled at the blonde.

"Yes, sir." Eli replied emotionlessly, quickening the pace of her crunches. After she finished the thirty reps, she stood up and bowed, waiting for the next order.

Instead of a normal order where the trainer would just yell it out on her, a kick was delivered her abdomen as well as another hit to her ribs. Eli bit back any sounds of pain as she managed to remain standing.

"Bars. Pull-ups, chin-ups, leg raises and leg circles. 4 reps each, 3 sets."Takeshi said.

"We were given permission to do anything to an agent as long as it will help in training. Now if you were to waver on the bars or do anything I dislike, expect a 30 minute addition for this training session but this time, I'll be _motivating_ you." He smirked, almost as if he'd been waiting for eternity just to have to freedom to do what he wants.

Eli knew this however; the current trainer she was with was the one who was always strict and pissed for who knows why. She also knew that the so called _motivation_ was actually punches and kicks that he will give to _motivate_ her.

Without further ado, Eli saluted and started, not bothering the pain radiating from her head and abdomen.

-/-

"Keep you back straight! 1 minute more!" Takeshi shouted as he circled Eli who was doing a wide plank. Originally, Eli's training session should be over by now but Takeshi had other plans for her.

Once she had finished the two minute plank—which was supposed to only be one minute—she stood up and bowed, waiting for the next order once more.

"Push-ups. 10 reps for normal, 10 reps with clapping, 20 reps with your leg raised, 10 for each leg. 2 sets." Takeshi said while landing another blow to the blonde's abdomen.

"Yes, sir." Eli said as she saluted, she then got into position and—

"That's enough, Takeshi." A familiar, much warmer voice filled the room, making the said man turn around in shock.

"S-Sonoda-san." Takeshi said a quiver present in his voice. "I-I was just finishing up Ayase's training session."

"Like hell, you were." Ryuu spat coldly, making Takeshi flinch at his voice. "Ayase, stand up, let's go."

Eli did as she was told, silently thanking her captain for saving her from more of Takeshi's shouting and training. They both left the training facility as well as leaving Takeshi who had an angry and slightly embarrassed face.

-/-

_=== Current time: 10:39:18pm_

Eli opened the door to her apartment, finding the lights still on. She slipped off her shoes and walked into the living room where she found a half asleep Alisa at the dining table.

The older blonde smiled weakly and placed her school bag down as she approached the younger blonde and gave a soft pat to her head, enough to wake her.

"Onee...chan...?" Alisa spoke while rubbing her eyes.

"Yup. I'm sorry for leaving you on your own again." Eli said apologetically, running her hand through Alisa's hair.

"No... Its okay, Onee-chan." Alisa said, pulling Eli into a warm hug; something to soothe the older blonde. Once they pulled back, Alisa's eyes spotted Eli's bandaged arm with red stains.

Alisa bit her lip. "Did you...get injured again?" She asked her voice sad and concerned.

Eli sighed and nodded. "It's just a minor injury. Don't worry about it, I've had worse."

"Still..." Alisa spoke again with the same tone in her voice as she stood up and grabbed her first aid kit that she always uses for treating Eli's injuries.

"Alisa..." Eli mumbled as the younger blonde took hold of her injured arm, she gently unwrapped the bandages around it.

Silently, Alisa treated Eli's arm with great care, cleaning the blood that had seeped through, disinfecting the area and wrapping a clean bandage over it.

"Are you injured anywhere else?" Alisa asked quietly as she fixed the things in her kit.

"No—" Eli was cut off, wincing when Alisa suddenly put her hand onto her side.

"Onee-chan..." Alisa said seriously, looking up and meeting Eli's eyes with her worried ones. She sighed and packed up her kit and went to the kitchen. She took an ice pack from the refrigerator and gave it to Eli who took it hesitantly.

"Place it on where it's bruised." Alisa said as she took the cold food that was on the table and brought it to the kitchen.

"Alisa, I'll do that. You've done enough for me." Eli said softly, approaching her younger sister and taking over.

The younger blonde silently let Eli do the work but stayed by her side. Once the food was ready, the both returned to the dining set and ate quietly.

"Onee-chan," Alisa spoke after minutes of silence, making Eli look up expectantly.

"Do you really need to continue going to work?"

Eli stopped the spoon that was about to scoop another serving of food.

_Do I...?_

Seeing Eli's confused and somehow surprised expression, Alisa sighed and continued eating her food, not expecting any answer coming from her older sister.

"I just don't want you to get hurt anymore." Alisa said, throwing Eli aback.

The older blonde sighed and stood up; she walked over to Alisa and embraced her smaller form.

"Alisa, I—"

Eli slapped a hand to her mouth, alarming the younger blonde. She felt a wave of nausea wash over her and a sudden sharp pain in her head.

"Onee-chan?" Alisa spoke worriedly, looking at the older blonde who paled visibly.

Without warning, Eli ran off to the bathroom. Alisa flinched at the sound of her sister throwing up and immediately she ran after her.

The younger blonde rubbed circles around her sister's back in an attempt to comfort her. Eli heaved heavily once more, gasping and shaking as sweat rolled down her face. It took almost about 4 minutes for her to stop heaving, leaving her exhausted after.

Alisa brought some water for Eli to wash her mouth and drink. It helped take off the burning in her throat and the acidic taste. Only the little food she ate from dinner came out since she skipped lunch.

After a few minutes, Alisa helped clean Eli up and resumed dinner quietly with Eli eating less or almost nothing.

-/-

(Between Episode 3)

Eli woke up the next morning, feeling drained and exhausted. She didn't get much sleep due to waking up in the middle of the night and vomiting once more.

She threw off the sheets over her and sat up, she turned to the side and placed her earpiece back and picked up her phone. Looking at the messages sent to her the day before.

[Tojou Nozomi (Yesterday, 9:11am] - Elichi, where are you?

[Sonoda Umi (Yesterday, 1:28pm)] - Eli, I have heard that you are unable to attend to school today. Are you alright?

[Tojou Nozomi (Yesterday, 1:43pm)] - Elichi, can we visit you later? Send me your address please! Haha...

[Kousaka Honoka (Yesterday, 3:51pm)] - Eli-channn! You're going to miss practice!

[Sonoda Umi (Yesterday, 4:27pm)] - I take it that you are ill. Please rest up and avoid working yourself. Hopefully, I'll be seeing you tomorrow, Eli.

Those were not only the messages she received, some messages also came from their group chat. Eli smiled weakly before she put her phone down and started to get ready for school.

-/-

"Agh..." Eli clutched her head, rubbing circles on her temple in an attempt to ease the pulsing pain on both sides of her head. She then felt a familiar warm feeling rise up her throat and covered her mouth with her hand in reflex.

"Elichi...?" Nozomi muttered after hearing the blonde's pained groan. She turned to the side to find her best friend's face contorted in pain.

"Elichi, are you okay?" The purple haired girl asked once more, turning her full attention onto the blonde instead of the lesson being taught in front.

Before her hand managed to reach out to touch the blonde's shoulder, she raised her hand and excused herself from class to go to the washroom, leaving Nozomi with a worried and confused look.

Immediately after she left the classroom, Eli walked quickly to the nearest washroom. She entered a stall in haste and locked it. She knelt down as her stomach heaved violently; she shook heavily as the contents of her stomach emptied, although nothing much came out.

_Migraine..._

About three minutes passed as Eli finally forced herself up, her knees slightly shaking and her forehead covered with beads of sweat. She tidied herself to look presentable and made sure to cover up the foul smell before she flushed the toilet and exited the stall.

Green eyes met cerulean ones as the blonde emerged from the bathroom stall.

Eli's face contorted into one that showed shock from seeing her best friend but returned to her normal features in less than a second.

"Nozomi? What are you doing here?" The blonde asked with her usual soft voice and small smile; however a slight tremble in her voice was present.

"Elichi," Nozomi said with a serious tone, causing Eli to stop abruptly. "Are you okay?"

The blonde in question smiled before she replied, "I just ate something, okay? I'm alright now, don't worry anymore, Nozomi."

The purple haired girl bit her lip lightly, "But you didn't even eat lunch today."

"Then it's probably something I ate this morning." Eli said with a forced chuckle.

It was a lie; everything she said was a lie. She hated to do it but she forces herself to, because of her occupation as an agent. Her migraine was not from food at all, it was from the medicines she was taking.

-/-

"One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four! Eli, keep up please!" Umi said, leading the group.

"Yes!" Eli responded but clearly her dancing was way off and unusual. After her predicament at the washroom, Nozomi kept a close eye on her despite the blonde's assurances that she's alright.

The group then ended their dance with a pose; afterwards, they all took a break.

"Eli," Umi called, approaching the blonde who was walking to where her things were. The latter turned to face her after picking up her towel.

"Are you okay?" The archer asked. "You don't look very well..."

A small smile tugged on Eli's lips despite the continued dizziness and pain she felt in her head. "I'm fine, just a little under the weather." The blonde said.

"Oh okay," Umi said, not noticing the slight quiver in her voice. "Just tell me if you need help with anything." She offered.

"Thanks." Eli said before a sudden wave of dizziness washed over her and she averted her eyes from the archer and stumbled forward, she balanced herself well enough to not make herself fall.

"Eli...?" Umi said, looking at the blonde. Now that she looked at her, she noticed the difference of her appearance to her usual.

She's pale, thinner, and sweating more than she's supposed to be. Under her eyes were dark circles, seemingly covered up by something but whatever it is, it's starting to fade.

With thoughts occupying her mind, Umi barely noticed the blonde leave for the washroom.

-/-

(After Episode 3)

"Mhmm... Our live was successful!" Eli said to Nozomi while stretching her arms upwards.

"It is." Nozomi simply said, avoiding the blonde's gaze.

They walked in silence for a few seconds, reaching a certain point where they would go to separate ways.

"So... I'll see you tomorrow then, Nozomi." Eli said, giving a warm smile in which Nozomi responded with a nod, her eyes downcast.

"What's wrong?" Eli asked a furrow on her brow.

"Elichi." Nozomi spoke quietly before she turned to look at the blonde. "Will you be alright? I can accompany you on your way home."

"Is this because of awhile ago? I told you to not worry right? I'm fine." Eli huffed, smiling at her companion. "Besides, I'll be stopping by some place before I head home."

"Then, I'll accompany you there." Nozomi insisted.

"It's okay, I'm fine. You worry too much."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh... I promised to myself to post the chapters earlier but apparently... my brain cells aren't functioning... ha...
> 
> Well anyways, I'll try to post the rest of the chapters soon. Comments or reviews are very much appreciated! If you don't understand something, feel free to ask me by pm or comment. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Sometimes you can't cover what can already be seen.

-/-

_It's cold. My whole body feels cold... But this feeling is familiar, isn't it? It's always been like this, right? All this time, I've been cold, never meeting warmth from anything or anyone, it makes me want to sleep and give in to the darkness, but why am I still going? Why am I still living?_

_Ah, I remember. There's someone I have to live for, someone who's always there for me and someone who I would risk my life to protect. Despite the challenges and hardships I experience, I'm still moving on... For her._

-/-

Eli walked silently, her feet just grazing onto the concrete ground. She shivered at the cold breeze the passed through, she pulled on her jacket in an attempt to keep warm but instead winced at the pain that shot through her arm. As she continued to pace through the streets, she tried not to put too much pressure onto her sprained right ankle.

_=== Current time: 02:48:19 am_

The blonde hoped that Alisa was still awake for her to check her new wounds but she knew that that was very unlikely. She reached her house and entered it silently, careful not to wake her little sister as she navigated through the dimly lit apartment.

She found the first aid kit her sister owns and brought it to her room. She took off her jacket and draped it over the back of her desk chair, revealing bandages wrapped around her hands, extending to her arms and soaked slightly with blood.

Putting the kit on her bedside table, she headed to the washroom and tried to gently take off her clothes. She winced slightly as she pulled off her shirt, exposing purple hues scattered around where her ribs are. After that, she carefully peeled off the bandages surrounding her arms and finally removed the last piece of clothing on her.

The blonde showered quietly, trying not to relieve the experience she had just a while ago.

-/-

Having finished bandaging her arms and treating her ankle and bruises, Eli sighed while she set down the medicine bottle she just used. She picked up her phone and lay down slowly, making sure not to strain her ribs as she scrolled through her phone.

_Reminders for Tomorrow:_

\- _μ's Activity Discussion_

\- _Talk with Directress and Faculty_

\- _EFO meeting_

Eli groaned as she turned off her phone and placed her arm over her eyes. _Now I can't skip school tomorrow..._ The blonde thought, groaning once more, her whole body ached and she felt mentally drained. It didn't take long for her to drift off into sleep.

-/-

"Onee-chan... Onee-chan!"

As soon as Eli opened her eyes, brightness assaulted her vision, making her raise her arm up to cover the light. After she adjusted to the brightness, she sat up slowly, wincing slightly.

"What happened to you? The bandages on your arms are soaked with blood..." Alisa said, concern filling her voice.

Eli faced her arms and sure enough, there was blood already soaking through."Ah..."

"I'll help you clean up." Alisa said, already grabbing the things she needs.

"No, it's fine. I'll just take a shower instead." The older blonde replied, waving away her sister's hand that was about to touch her arm and standing up.

"At least tell me, what happened to you?" Alisa said, following her sister who headed to the washroom.

Eli stopped in her tracks, a memory flashing in her mind. Shaking her head, she replied quietly. "Special training."

"And? What happened there?" Alisa pressed some more, lightly touching Eli's arm who flinched in response.

"J-Just training for a mission. They needed to measure my pain endurance for a device." The older blonde said, staring down and ignoring the pulsing pain in her head.

"What device?"

"A special chip."

"Wha-What?" Alisa said; a shocked expression plastered on her face. _No... Not again..._ The younger blonde thought, unwanted memories bubbling up her head.

Noticing Alisa's flabbergasted expression, Eli masked her pain before patting Alisa's head in a comforting manner. "Don't worry. It won't be the same as last time." Eli said with a forced smile. "They would just connect the chip using the earpiece."

"O-Oh..." Alisa breathed, feeling relieved slightly.

"Come on, let's prepare for school now, we don't want to be late."

-/-

"Nicochi, is it me or did your breast grow smaller?" Nozomi teased, poking the said girl in her cheeks.

"Shut up!" Nico said with a pout on her face. As soon as the purple haired girl stopped teasing the latter, their homeroom teacher entered. The class greeted the teacher altogether.

"Oy," Nico whispered, tugging onto Nozomi's sleeve as they sat down. "Where's Eli?"

"Now that you've mentioned it, I don't know." Nozomi replied, looking at the door of the classroom as the teacher started calling for attendance.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Nico asked, a scowl on her face.

"I mean, Elichi hadn't replied to my messages since last night." Nozomi said, turning to face the teacher and ignoring Nico's questions.

"Ayase-san!" The teacher, Suzuki Miyano called, looking over the class for the blonde but found none. She sighed as she looked down to see the class list and at the same time, the door of the classroom slid open.

"I'm sorry for being late, Suzuki-sensei."

"Ayase-san! Just in time, I was about to mark you absent." The teacher said, offering a smile to the blonde. She noticed the bandage on her hands and sighed once more. "May I talk to you after homeroom, Ayase-san?"

"Sure, sensei. I apologize for my tardiness again." Eli said with a bow before she walked to her desk and sat. She pulled down the sleeve of her blazer trying to cover the bandage she had as the teacher continued with the attendance.

"Elichi," Nozomi called, facing the blonde who was next to her. "What happened?"

"What happened?" Eli replied, hiding her hands underneath her desk.

Nozomi gave Eli a disapproving look before she somewhat roughly grabbed the blonde's arm. "This." The purple haired girl said, pointing to Eli's bandaged hand. "What happened?"

"I fell." Eli said simply, trying not to show any pain when Nozomi pressed onto her arm.

"That's it?" Nozomi asked, unsatisfied with her answer. "You can't fool me, Elichi."

"I fell, that's it. I had to catch myself when I fell so my hands got scraped by the ground." Eli made a plausible lie. "Do you believe me now?"

Nozomi gazed at Eli for a few seconds before she nodded. "Just don't do that again, Elichi."

"Of course, I'll be careful next time."

-/-

"Ayase-san, are you okay?" Suzuki asked with a concerned look, eyeing Eli's hands. "How's work?"

"I appreciate the concern, sensei. Yes, I'm alright. Work has been a handful but I can manage." Eli replied with a small smile. _Even my teachers are worried about me..._ Eli thought, a bit overwhelmed.

"Take care of yourself, alright? I'll see you later for our meeting." Suzuki said in which Eli responded with a nod. The older girl bid goodbye and walked away right after.

Eli turned her heel to face the door of her classroom but felt a wave of dizziness wash over her and her vision blurred for a moment. She used the wall for support, it wasn't long before she composed herself and returned to class, her body heavy and aching.

-/-

The rest of the classes Eli was in were a blur for her, she managed to participate well enough for others not to notice that something was wrong with her. She was used to keeping to herself anyway.

Eli trudged along the corridors; her right ankle continued to throb with pain and with each step made the pain seem to intensify. She finally reached the idol club room and entered it, finding no one.

She sighed while setting down her bag and sitting down. She rummaged her bag for her phone to keep herself busy while waiting for the others to arrive.

When she finally found her phone, it lit up, signaling a call.

"Alisa?"

-/-

Umi walked hurriedly to the club room, she stopped just in front of the door to catch her breath.

"I'm fine, Alisa. I'll change my bandages later."

The archer's head shot up. _Bandages?_ She questioned internally before looking through the glass window of the door and found the third year seated with her phone on her ear.

"Yes, I brought medicine." Eli's voice was barely heard. "Yes—they need to check some things, alright? I won't train anymo—"

"Umi-chan!" Honoka exclaimed, making the said girl turn around suddenly. "What are you doing, Umi-chan?"

"N-Nothing, I just arrived." Umi replied, her voice slightly trembling. Fortunately for her, Honoka didn't notice and just turned to open the door of the club room.

"Eli-chan! Eh? What happened to you?" Honoka said as Umi entered the room, her eyes meeting Eli's bandaged hands which Honoka was holding.

"This?" Eli said, removing her hands from Honoka's grasp. "I'll fill you in later once everyone arrives, since I know all of you will ask."

"Eh?" Honoka pouted, sitting opposite to Eli while Umi sat next to the blonde.

"Are you alright though, Eli?" Umi asked with a hint of hesitation present in her voice.

"Yes, I'm alright. Don't worry." Eli replied with a nod and a smile.

-/-

"Let's all have lunch together!"

Their meeting had just ended and the rest of the members started packing up to go back to their classrooms until Honoka suggested for them to all eat together.

"That sounds great nya!" Rin agreed, nodding her head enthusiastically.

"I'd rather have lunch in the class—"

"Oh come on, Maki-chan, don't you want to spend time with us?" Nozomi interrupted, shooting a teasing smile to the red head.

"It's not like that! I j-just want to... uhh..." Maki said, a blush creeping up her cheeks as she tried thinking of an excuse.

"Now, now, everyone, stop teasing Maki." Eli said as she stood up, her bag on her shoulder.

"Where must you be going, Eli?" Umi asked, looking at the blonde who was already at the door.

"Aren't you going to eat with us?" Kotori questioned, gesturing the bento boxes of the rest of the members.

"I'm sorry but I have a meeting with the directress and the teachers." Eli said in apologetic manner while giving a weak smile.

"Meeting? What for?" Hanayo asked with a confused expression on her face.

"They just want to discuss something about my studies." The blonde in question replied as she opened the door. "Have fun, I'll catch up with you all later. See you!" She said before stepping out of the room.

The whole room descended into silence as soon as the door of the room closed.

"I don't remember Elichi having trouble with her studies." Nozomi said, looking longingly at the door where the blonde just exited.

"Oh come on, Nozomi. Knowing Eli, she's an honor student. She must have been offered scholarships in some school." Nico said, turning away and opening her bento, the rest doing the same except for a certain blue haired girl.

"Umi-chan, aren't you going to start eating?" Kotori asked.

"Yeahmpfh..." Honoka said, biting into her bread while looking at the archer.

"I'll be back; I'll just go to the washroom. Excuse me." Umi said, standing up and exiting the room.

-/-

A muffled gasp behind the door made Umi stop abruptly when she reached out onto the knob. Slowly, she peeked inside, spotting a familiar blonde.

_Eli..._

The blonde's left hand was clutching her head while the other gripped what seemed to be a white bottle of medicine. She was breathing heavily, a pained expression on her face.

"W-Why..." Eli whispered frustratingly as she closed her eyes tightly.

Umi's eyes filled with worry, she couldn't take it anymore; she wanted so much to confront the blonde. She opened the door and entered the room slowly.

"U-Umi?" Eli's voice called out, making Umi face her.

"Eli?" Umi said, seemingly oblivious to what she saw seconds earlier. Eli was as if back to her usual and normal self, no bottle to be seen, no pained look, it just seemed as if she just ran to the washroom due to her panting.

"I thought you were—" The both said in unison, making them stop in mid sentence.

"Sorry, go ahead." Eli said, giving an apologetic smile.

"Excuse me for interrupting you too. I believe you were supposed to be having a meeting?" Umi asked, observant of Eli's movements.

"Ah, yes. I just needed to pass by the washroom. I'm about to go now, actually." Eli replied. "Aren't you supposed to be eating lunch with the others?"

"Yes, however, I needed to use the washroom too." Umi said.

"Oh alright, you go ahead then. I'll see you later!" The blonde replied before hurrying off.

Umi stood there, surrounded once more by silence. She sighed and turned to the sink of the washroom and proceeded to wash her hands.

_Why do I get the feeling, she's hiding something?_

As the archer finished, she reached out to the box of tissues but stopped when a white bottle was seen in line of her vision. She took the bottle in her hands and examined it. _Isn't this the one Eli was holding?_

She spun the bottle around for the label but found only marker writings on it.

_EFO Aid Dep. M-PK3D (No. 135)_

_A-R1-AE_

Umi had a confused look on her face as she read the writings. _EFO..._ She repeated in her head, EFO was the company her father was working for as a captain after he graduated as an agent. She had also seen one of these bottles in her father's office, however, when she asked about it, her father didn't give any details

_How did Eli come across this?_

The archer's mind was racking up lots and lots of questions. Was Eli drinking this? Who gave her this bottle? Is Eli an agent? She shook her head in disagreement. _As if. Only people in their 20s are allowed in EFO._ She thought internally before pocketing the bottle and exiting the room.

-/-

"Ayase-san, please, sit down." Chairwoman Minami said, indicating the chair on her immediate right.

"Thank you, Directress." Eli said, bowing before taking her seat. The room was full of teachers, all teaching the third year students. A representative from EFO was also present and of course, Directress Minami.

"Now that everyone's here, shall we start?" The directress said. The rest nodded in agreement. "Alright. Miho-san, you may start."

The representative from EFO nodded and handed over papers to the group, with the exception of Eli. Suzuki gave Eli a weak smile before she turned to the file that was given to her.

Eli sighed. _I won't be able to eat lunch again, huh?_

-/-

The last class for the day was nearing to an end. Eli's attention focused on the reminders being given by the teacher in front.

After the meeting, Eli attended her afternoon classes, only being able to drink a bottle of water and snack on a little bit of chocolate. The meeting ended with the participants agreeing with Eli to continue her school activities and remain an undercover agent.

"Alright, everyone. See you all on Monday. I'll be expecting the essay." The teacher said as he exits the room.

The class then started packing up for their club activities.

"Elichi," Nozomi approached, her bag slung on her shoulder while Nico stood beside her. "Let's go?"

"Ah," Eli said as she placed her notebook in her bag and closed it up. "Let's go."

They walked to the club room, a conversation building along the way. As they reached the room, the rest of the members were already there, ready for practice.

"You all could go ahead, we'll meet you there." Eli said with a smile. Before she could move out of the way so the others could exit, Umi took her by the arm and dragged her.

"W-Wait a minute, U-Umi-san! Where are you taking me?" Eli said, accidentally adding the honorific in Umi's name out of panic, as she was dragged out of the room.

"Eh?" The rest of the members said, confused looks on their faces as they stood silently, watching as Umi took Eli away.

-/-

"Umi! Stop it this instant!" Eli said with a stern and stressed voice, catching Umi off guard and making her let go.

Eli grit her teeth, because of Umi's hold on her arm, Eli's certain that one of her cuts had opened up. They stopped in front of a washroom which was seemingly empty.

As Eli dusted off invisible dirt on her skirt before she said with a firm voice. "Care to tell me why you dragged me off like that, Umi?"

Umi opened her mouth to speak but no words came out, instead, she held Eli's bandaged hand with her own and thankfully for Eli, the archer gently pulled her inside the washroom. As Eli was about to speak, Umi held out her hand with the white bottle.

"I found this in the washroom right after you left." Umi said hesitantly, looking at Eli's confused features as she looked at the bottle. "I-Is this yours?"

"No." Eli said, taking in the bottle in her hands and examining it. "I haven't seen this before."

"O-Oh." Umi said; a bit disappointed to hear the blonde's answer. Eli handed back the bottle as Umi stared at it. More questions were building up inside her.

They stood in awkward silence for a few seconds; Umi was still looking over the bottle until her eyes spot a small red puddle on the washroom floor in her field of vision. She shot her head up urgently finding the source of it and in an instant; her eyes found Eli's left hand dripping with blood.

"Eli! Your hand!" Umi said, immediately pocketing the bottle and bringing out her handkerchief.

The blonde cursed under her breath as she took off her blazer, hoping it didn't get stained. A soft cloth on her left hand made Eli flinch as she looked at Umi gently wiping the blood with her handkerchief.

"Umi." Eli said. The archer's features contorted into one of worry. "I can take it from here."

The said girl bit her lip before she spoke with a guilty voice. "I must have pulled you too roughly awhile ago."

"Its fine, Umi." Eli assured, taking Umi's hand in her own and giving it a small squeeze.

Umi looked down, her hand falling back to her side. Seeing Umi's guilty expression, Eli's features softened as she tried to think of what to do. A few seconds passed and a bulb in her head lit up.

The blonde reached in her skirt pocket and pulled out several clean bandages, she lifted Umi's arm and placed them on the latter's hand. "You can make it up to me if you'd like."

Almost instantly, Umi's face lit up and she nodded shyly. Eli's chuckled internally at Umi's response.

"I'll have to take my blouse off first." Eli said before pulling Umi into one of the washroom stalls using her good arm. She locked it and proceeded to take off her blouse.

Umi looked to the side, her face red as her mind kept on repeating 'shameless, shameless, shameless!'

"Geez, Umi. If you're just going to stare that way then how are you going to help me?" Eli's voice spoke, and Umi steeled herself to look.

She turned her head and her breath caught in her throat. She wasn't sure whether she was holding her breath because of Eli's current lack of clothes and the small space between them or because of the bruises that covered Eli's abdomen and ribs.

"Eli..." Umi was speechless; she didn't know what to say. Her eyes travelled throughout the blonde's body. Both Eli's arms were bandaged; her left arm was covered from her hands to her upper arm while the right just reached up until below the joint of her elbow.

"Umi, stop staring..." Eli pouted, crossing her arms and taking Umi out of her trance.

"S-Sorry." Umi said before she started to unravel the bandage around Eli's left arm. Her eyes widened at the sight of the bloody cut and several scratches, making her stop abruptly as an image flashed in her mind.

_Eli's beaten form, fell onto the concrete floor, blood dripping from various parts of her body while bruises and cuts littered everywhere._

A cold hand took the bloody bandage from her, pulling her out of her memory. After fully ridding Eli's arm of her old bandages, Umi dampened her handkerchief slightly using the sink before returning to where the blonde was, she muttered a quiet 'sorry' for spacing out as she cleaned the wound.

"You're really good at this, aren't you?" Eli complimented with a smile on her face. "Your first aid skills could even rival Alisa's." She joked, making Umi blush with a grin.

"My father is usually hurt at work or in our dojo. I took it upon myself to be ready to aid him when he's injured." Umi stated as she wrapped the blonde's arm with the new bandage.

"Oh, really?" Eli said, her voice shook slightly but was not noticeable. "That's nice. You're so kind, Umi."

"I-It's nothing." Umi said, the red hue on her face deepening in color as she finished covering Eli's arm and let go of it.

Eli opened her hand and closed it into a fist, repeating it several times before she smiled and embraced the archer. "Thank you, Umi."

"N-No problem." Umi stuttered, trying to ignore the fact that Eli was pressing against her, only clad in her bra. She was sure her face was entirely red.

After Eli pulled back, she found the courage again to look at the blonde who was reaching for her blouse.

"Wait." Umi said a frown on her face as her eyes traveled to the purple hues on Eli's body. "Aren't you going to treat your bruises?"

"This?" Eli said and looked down as she casually wore her blouse. "I usually leave them on their own to heal."

_Usually?_ Umi's brow furrowed. If she says usually then does that mean she usually has bruises? Umi looked again at the area where most of Eli's bruises were and spotted yellow and blue discoloration on her skin, mostly on the lower part, suggesting that there was a healing bruise under.

As Eli finished buttoning up her blouse, Umi's mind was going on a rampage, it kept racking up more theories and questions, making her have a distressed look on her face.

Eli noticed and spoke. "Umi, why do you look so puzzled? You've been spacing out several times as well, is there something wrong?"

Umi looked down. She sighed and faced up, looking straight into Eli's eyes. "Eli," She said in a monotone.

"Do you have somewhere to go to after school?" She asked quietly.

"Mhm, yes." Eli said while putting on her blazer.

"Where?" Umi asked more.

"I have work." The words spilled out of Eli's mouth before she could stop them. _Oh no._

"Work?" Umi said, her eyes widening. "You have work?"

Eli internally cursed herself for letting that piece of information slip. Why did she say it though? _Usually I would have been able to lie, but now, it feels like I just want to spill everything out._

"Y-Yes, not very interesting work but able to sustain me and Alisa." Eli covered up, a noticeable tremble and hesitation in her voice.

"Oh, what kind of work do you do?" Umi pressed on, hoping for more information.

"Like I told you, I not that interesting. Just filing some papers and making reports, then giving it to my boss." Eli said, her voice firm.

Umi felt somewhat relieved with Eli's words but there was still that feeling that states that there's something off. She sighed and muttered a short 'oh.'

Eli felt a sudden familiar aching feeling in her chest. _Stop._ She said internally. _Not her._ She recalled having the feeling several times, those times in which she wants to give in and spill every single suffering she has experienced, times she just wants to be held and comforted.

The blonde closed her eyes and forcefully pushed away the feeling. She put a hand on Umi's shoulder and noticed that the girl seemed to be spacing out once more.

"Umi, let's go. The others are waiting." Eli said after her hand travelled down Umi's arm and grasped her hand. She pulled onto Umi while unlocking the door.

"Mhn." Umi hummed in response.

Before they could exit the washroom, Umi stopped.

"Umi," Eli called, tugging on Umi's hand. "Come on."

"Eli, why don't you skip practice for today?" Umi suggested, taking Eli aback.

"Is this because of my injuries? I'd rather not skip, Umi..." Eli said with a frown on her face. "Besides, it was my fault that I gained these."

"Eli." Umi said with a serious tone. "You should rest and heal your body. I wouldn't recommend you to work or train while you're in this condition."

"But Umi..." Eli pouted.

"No."

-/-

"Eh? Eli-chan won't practice with us?" Hanayo said; a confused expression present on her face. The rest of the members seemed confused as well as they looked at the archer and blonde who were in front of them.

"Due to some circumstances, I have forbidden Eli to practice with us today." Umi said.

"Hah..." Eli sighed. "Even though I protested, she wants to make me stay put."

"That is because it is unhealthy for you to work yourself while you are injured!" Umi argued, looking at the blonde who had a teasing smile on her face.

"Aw, is Umi-san worried a lot about me? I told you already right, I'm fine." Eli said, poking on Umi's cheeks.

"Eli—!"

"Alright, alright. You two break it up, you're acting like an old married couple." Nozomi said, earning giggles from behind her while the two in front burst into red.

"W-What are you talking about, Nozomi?" Eli said, a displeased but embarrassed look on her face.

"Old married c-couple? Wha-What?" Umi said who was blushing madly.

"Hehe..." Nozomi and the others laughed at their reaction.

"Come on, you two. Let's get started with practice." Maki said while twirling a strand of her hair.

"Like I told you, Eli won't be participating in practice!" Umi protested even with the growing blush on her cheeks.

"Eh, but Umi... "Eli pouted once more.

"Eli!"

"Umi..."

"Cut it out you two! Now we really think that you both are an old married couple!" Honoka's voice spoke out loud, interrupting the two.

-/-

_Eli approached the group of scientists in front, Ryuu walked by her side._

_"Are we ready?" Ryuu asked the head scientist, his voice emotionless as usual. The scientist nodded and gestured to the table in front._

_Ryuu gave Eli a stiff nod and she nodded back. She walked towards the table and lay on it. Two scientists hovered over her and secured her onto the table, her arms were spread wide while her legs were open slightly. Eli moved her arms and legs upward, checking the restraints, she gave another nod to the scientists to signal that she was ready._

_"You know why this is happening?" Ryuu said as he stood next to the table, looking right at Eli._

_Another nod came from Eli before she said, "Special Training."_

_Ryuu gave Eli a pitiful look before he shook his head and returned to his usual stoic face. He withdrew from his place and let the scientists gather. He stood by away from the table, enough so that he could see what was happening._

_The head scientist, Dai Hachiro, ordered two of his men to place small detectors on Eli's temples, wrists, shoulders, thighs and the soles of her feet. One of the men then placed a small chip in Eli's earpiece before Hachiro slid a small stick in between Eli's teeth and made her bite down for it not to fall._

_He gave the go signal to the rest of the scientists and they started._

_Eli bit down hard on the stick as a knife cut through both of her forearms simultaneously. She curled her hands into fists as they cut in deeper. Her half healed wound from before opened up from the tension._

_"Turn on the chip." She heard Hachiro say._

_A sharp pain pierced both sides of her head, mostly her right where the earpiece was situated. She closed her eyes tight, her whole body tense as pain kept pounding in her head._

_She flinched as someone held onto her right foot, before she could even anticipate what would happen, she felt her ankle twist. She bit down harder, certain that she must have damaged the stick. Eli felt tears want to escape from her eyes but she refused to shed them._

_They continued on for five more minutes, the pain in Eli's head decreasing and increasing at different points. When they finally finished, they went over the data they collected and released Eli of her restraints and took off the detectors._

_"Get a damn medic from the aid department!" Ryuu's voice rang out loud despite the ringing in Eli's ears._

_"Ryuu, after Ayase's wounds are treated and she has rested, take her to the training facility. We would need her to spar with one of the agents; this is part of the training." Hachiro said, giving a emotionless look to Ryuu._

_"You're going to make her fight in this condition?!" Ryuu shouted as he helped Eli sit up. "I did not know about this nor do I agree to this!"_

_"Orders are orders, Ryuu." Hachiro simply replied before exiting the room._

_"Heichou..." Eli said; her voice came out weak and frail. Her whole body was in pain, especially her head. She felt exhausted, as if she would immediately fall asleep if she gave in. Everything around her went slow, she could hear her captain exchange words with the medic that was treating her but she couldn't make out the words._

_Ryuu grit his teeth. During the time that Eli was in the hands of the scientists, he imagined Umi in her place. He can't imagine how much pain Eli is in and how the experience would scar her for the rest of her life. She's only lived for seventeen years and she's already experiencing pain that even someone in their nineties would have never experienced._

_He supported Eli's weight as she leaned on him, her whole body drained of energy. The medic that was treating her was quickly wrapping up her bleeding cuts; it was soaked with blood almost immediately._

_Ryuu and the medic supported Eli as they transferred her to the aid department. They lay Eli on a bed and immediately, the medics present started treating her injuries while the blonde fell unconscious._

_Gritting his teeth, Ryuu stormed out of the room and to the office of Hachiro._

_"What the hell was that, Hachiro?!" Ryuu yelled; his face full of anger. "You just walked away as if nothing happened while you know very well that Ayase's in pain! Are you that insensitive to not even help aid her?!"_

_Hachiro had a calm look on his face as he looked at the papers in his hands, this angered Ryuu even more._

_"Ryuu, we've been friends since we were agents, I'm not insensitive, you know that. It pains me to hurt her but, like I told you, orders are orders. She needs to have a high pain tolerance due to the painful effects of the special chip." Hachiro said; his face unreadable._

_"Ayase is just seventeen. Seventeen!" Ryuu said, frustrated. "When we were agents, we did not go through what she is experiencing now! She's just—"_

_"Ryuu." Hachiro cut off Ryuu's sentence. "Are you that much protective of Ayase?"_

_Ryuu fell silent, he avoided Hachiro's gaze as he cursed internally for letting himself go out of control. Hachiro just observed Ryuu. For a minute everything was silent until Hachiro stood up. He walked passed Ryuu and stopped just right behind his back._

_"She's not your daughter, Ryuu. Remember that." Hachiro stated before walking to the door. "I'll see you later."_

_The familiar thud of the door closing resonated throughout the room, and then silence followed._

_"Damn it." Ryuu said before exiting the room._

_He walked silently to the aid department, his face stoic but on the inside, he was pissed and furious at Hachiro. "Tch." He cursed before he entered the room where Eli was held._

_Eli lay on the bed, both her eyes were open and she lay on the right side of her face. Her arms were bandaged as well as her ankle._

_"How's she doing?" Ryuu asked one of the medics checking up on her._

_"She's doing well. She had lost a fair amount of blood; however, we have given her medicine for it. We've also prepared extra bottles in her dorm for her to take home." The medic replied._

_"Will she be able to stand?" Ryuu said._

_"It's going to be painful for her right ankle but yes, she will be able to stand. Just give her half an hour to rest." The medic said before bowing and then left._

_Ryuu bowed to the medic and sat on the chair next to Eli's bed. "Are you alright, Ayase?"_

_It took a few seconds before Eli managed to respond with a weak nod. Ryuu sighed and placed a hand on her head before he said, "Rest up, I'll wake you up later."_

_Eli gave another weak nod before she closed her eyes and fell asleep almost immediately._

_Forty minutes passed and Eli awoke from the calling of her captain. Eli groaned as she forced herself up, wincing slightly._

_"Can you fight?" Ryuu questioned, helping Eli up._

_Eli sat up and gave a curt nod before she swung her legs to the side of the bed and slipped her boots on and wore her jacket. Experimentally, Eli placed pressure on her right ankle, testing how it was. She bit her lip when pain shot through it_

_"Can you—"_

_The blonde stood up before Ryuu could even ask if she can. Eli exited the aid department without a word, making Ryuu catch up. With each step she takes, she grits her teeth and suppresses a gasp of pain. They reached the training facility where Hachiro and three people were waiting._

_Hachiro approached Eli while Ryuu gave him a glare._

_"I'm sure you know why we are doing this." Hachiro said to Eli calmly. "The goal for you is to put your opponent into a position where they will not be able or want to move; something like a joint lock."_

_Eli nodded in reply._

_"Your opponent will be Satoshi Hiroki, Rank 10." Hachiro said and motioned the said boy to come forward. Satoshi gave Eli a small weak smile in which Eli responded with a short bow._

_"Let's start?"_

-/-

Eli sighed internally as she watched her arms being checked by the medic that treated her the day before. Her captain stood stiffly next to her.

"It's healing fine." The medic said while bandaging Eli's arms again.

"I don't recommend her to be going to missions but with her current state, she is able to if she is assigned." The medic stated. "That is all."

"Thank you." Ryuu said sternly before turning to Eli. "Let's go, they're waiting."

Eli gave a nod to her captain and a bow to the medic before they were on their way.

Ryuu noticed a difference in Eli's way of walking; she was putting more weight on her left leg rather than her right. Eli would have been limping if she didn't force herself to walk normally but due to her experiences with her previous captain, she didn't want to show any signs of weakness.

"We're here." Ryuu said as he opened the door to the meeting room.

The room was full of silent people, all facing the big screen in front. It was dimly lit; the only illumination was coming from the screen. A figure stood in front which Ryuu recognized to be Hachiro.

"Sonoda, Ayase." Hachiro addressed. "You both are nearly late."

"Excuse us. Ayase had to have her injuries checked." Ryuu replied quietly before taking a seat next to which he recognized as the experiment head. He gestured Eli to sit between him and the laboratory head.

"Very well. Now that we're all here, we shall start." Hachiro said.

"This meeting will only serve to fill you all in with the details of chip 02-SP-EM. To put it into simple words, this chip will allow the manipulation of electricity, turning the user into an Electromaster."

-/-

"Alisa... I'm home." Eli announced as she took off her boots and jacket.

"Werucomuhm backuhm, Onee-han!" Alisa said, her voice coming from the living room.

Eli chuckled at the way Alisa replied. She walked into the living room and spotted Alisa on the sofa, munching on some chocolate, bits and smudges of chocolate present around her lips.

When Alisa's eyes met Eli's, she gave a wide smile and offered the chocolate she was holding.

The older blonde giggled which in turn Alisa did as well. They both laughed for a moment before Eli took the chocolate and gave it a bite.

"Let's get you cleaned up, alright?" Eli said and stood up, she grabbed a towel from the bathroom and wet it before she returned to Alisa and started wiping her lips.

Eli finished and stood up to wash the cloth. "Thank you, Onee-chan!" Alisa said with a happy tone in which Eli responded with a smile.

"Hey, Onee-chan..." Alisa said as Eli sat next to her.

"Hmm?"

"Do you hate Papa? For making you work as an agent?" The younger girl asked, a bit of hesitation present in her voice.

Eli sighed and thought for a bit before she replied. "Not really... Besides, there are advantages for me being an agent, I can protect you."

"Geez, Onee-chan..." Alisa giggled.

"It's my career, you know, protecting you and others. Although I do sometimes get hurt in doing so, it's worth it knowing that you aren't hurt… That brings me happiness." Eli said with a smile.

Alisa gave Eli a smile as well and they both stayed silent for a moment.

"You mentioned a something about a special chip earlier..." Alisa broke the silence, her tone changing as she leaned in and looked straight into Eli's cerulean orbs. "It won't be the same as last time, r-right?"

Eli gave Alisa a sympathetic smile and patted her head. "It won't. I won't leave you again." She said reassuringly and pulled the younger blonde into a warm embrace.

They both knew very well what happened three years ago. After the chip was inserted into Eli's brain, a complication appeared which led Eli to stay unconscious for a span of 3 days. During this time, Alisa was depressed. When Eli finally came through, Alisa cried tears of joy and hugged the older blonde tightly while muttering 'I love you' and 'I missed you.'

"Okay..." Alisa replied softly as she relaxed into the embrace.

"Onee-chan..." The younger blonde said after a minute.

"Yes?"

"You smell bad."

"Ehhh?!"

-/-

Umi opened the door to her father's office. She was tasked to organize the papers on his desk because her mother had to run some errands.

Thirty minutes into organizing, a folder caught Umi's attention. _EFO Agent 06-042 Ayase Eli_ was printed on the front of the folder. She froze. Hesitantly, Umi reached out and took the folder in her hands, slowly, she opened it.

The first thing she saw was a picture of Eli's face. She was in her usual ponytail, her expression stoic but what bothered Umi was the look in Eli's eyes, it was blank and void of any emotion.

She averted her eyes from Eli's picture and read the information below.

_Name: Ayase Eli_

_Birthday: October 21_

_Blood Type: B_

_Height: 162 cm_

_School/s:_ _Российская военная академия_ _, Otonokizaka High School_

_Agent Number: 06-042 Date Employed as an Agent: March 16_

Umi's eyes grew wide at the latter part she read. Her suspicions and theories where correct; Eli said she had work, she was leaving early for the past few days for work and she was injured from missions agents do... yet...

_No, I refuse to believe._

 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The longer you keep to yourself, more pain is brought up from within.

-/-

_The habit of bottling up my feelings came to me when I was brought to the military academy. Isn't it that feelings just get in the way of everything? But it's inevitable. As humans we have feelings…of love, of happiness, and of pain._

_Since the time I became an agent, I had to let go of my feelings; be emotionless, accept the world as it is. However, we all know the feelings can't be avoided. Pain is brought from beneath, feelings of loneliness, of guilt._

_Alisa had helped me from time to time; reminding me that I'm not alone, that she's always there for me, always by my side. When μ's came into my life, it had helped me greatly… But having to lie to your friends on a daily basis… Makes me want to spill everything out._

-/-

The moment after Umi had found the file, she immediately put it away and quickly organized her father's office before she hurried to her room and closed the door with a loud thud.

She paused behind the door to catch her breath before she slumped onto her bed.

_Why was there a file of Eli in my father's office?_  Umi thought and recalled the information in the file she had looked at moments before.  _She was employed as an agent on March 16... She's an agent yet, isn't it that adults are only the ones allowed to be and agent? She looks the same in the photo too..._

Umi shook her head. "I don't get it!" She exclaimed frustratingly and buried her head in her pillow.

_Why is she an agent...?_

-/-

(After Episode 4)

"Hey, everyone! Now that Nico-chan's live is finished, why don't we hangout in Akiba with her siblings? It's Saturday tomorrow anyway." Honoka suggested.

"That sounds nice, Honoka-chan." Kotori agreed along with the rest of the group...except two.

"I'm sorry, I have to stay." Two voices said in unison.

The members turned to the sound of the voices and found the blue icons of μ's looking at each other, both wide-eyed.

"I...uhhh..." Umi began shakily before she was interrupted by a teasing voice.

"My, my, Elichi and Umi-chan... Are you two up to something?" Nozomi mentioned as she gave the two a knowing smile.

"Nozomi! Stop saying such things!" Eli said, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

"What things? I just asked if you were going to do something." Nozomi replied innocently while the rest of the group giggled.

"Eli-chan's turning red, nya..." Rin pointed out, a grin present on her face.

"I am not!" Eli protested despite the visible blush on her cheeks. "The directress needed to talk to me after my activities are over." She stated and looked Umi who she noticed was biting her lip and looking away.

"Oh..." The rest of the members said all together.

"But, how about Umi?" Maki asked and successfully putting all the attention to the said girl.

"I-I have archery practice..." Umi replied simply, avoiding anyone's eyes.

"You all could go ahead, we'll be fine." Eli said and gave the group a smile.

Before anyone could protest, Nico's voice came in. "Come on. These two might have something going on and we better not interrupt."

Giggles came in and the blush that Eli had previously gotten rid off, came back. The rest of the members left the roof together after giving Eli and Umi some good luck gestures.

Once the last member had left, Eli and Umi both stood in silence. Umi was still biting onto her lip, making Eli worry that the archer might draw out blood due to her extensive biting.

"Umi—"

"I'll be heading to practice now." Umi cut Eli's sentence. "See you." She said shortly before leaving Eli alone on the roof.

Eli just stared at the door in which Umi exited. She knew that from Umi's actions and dialogue that something was off and it felt like she was avoiding her...but why?

The blonde sighed before she left the roof.

-/-

_It was noon when my parents called me for a talk. At that time, I was practicing archery; I wondered what would they want to talk about because they usually leave me alone to practice._

_It actually scared me. 'Did I do something wrong?' and 'Is there bad news?' were the questions running around my head as they brought me to my father's office._

_I was relieved when I heard that they were not going to scold me, but I wasn't really prepared to hear and understand what they had said next._

_They had told me the truth about my father's work, they told me why he comes home injured and why he was always unable to spend time with us._

_I was surprised, they were so serious that there was no mistaking it for a joke. Sadness was the first feeling that had took over me; I realized that they were lying to me all this time, but that feeling was over come by something far more better... Happiness._

_To hear that my father was protecting the people, it gave me happiness and a reason to be proud of my father._

_But I was worried of him; due to the nature of his work, he sometimes arrives home injured. I took it upon myself to aid him when he's in a bad state but I always kept asking him, 'Why are you still protecting others even if you're the one who ends up hurt?'_

_He just smiled at me and replied, 'It's all worth it in the end.'_

_Up until now I have yet to find the meaning of those words._

_However, I am still searching for my answer, but until then, I will continue on._

-/-

Umi took in a deep breath and pulled the string on her bow, the tension built up to it's limit. She released her hold and the arrow flew through the hall to the target situated up front. With a thud, the arrow pierced through the target.

The archer sighed and slowly let down her bow; the arrow missed the center by a long distance.

Her previous shots also missed the center, either hitting the target at the very edge or the ground around the target.

"Sonoda-san." A voice called and Umi looked up.

"Chou-sensei." Umi said with a weak voice.

"Your performance today is rather off than usual." Chou said with a disappointed look. "I won't tolerate this performance at the competition."

"I apologize, sensei." Umi said and gave a deep bow.

Noticing the tired and distressed look on Umi's face, Chou sighed and said. "Are you alright?"

Umi gave a short nod and bit her lip unconsciously while avoiding the eyes of her teacher. She was fine physically, however, mentally, her mind was unfocused, she was thinking of several things and she can't seem to focus at all during the day.

"I'll cut today's practice. Go get some rest. It seems like you have a lot of things on your mind." Chou said as she placed a hand on Umi's shoulder and gave her a soft pat.

The archer sighed and walked to the girl's changing room after thanking her teacher.

After changing into her uniform and bidding goodbye to her fellow archers, she walked through the halls of the school with the intention to stay at the council office for a while.

Reaching her destination, she sighed as she opened the door to the office, remembering that Honoka and Kotori are not present to help her with council work. She entered and looked up, expecting to find the room empty but...

"Eli...?" Umi said, her eyes wide as she saw the Ex-Student Council President seated at the middle of the room.

"Ah, Umi." Eli began and gave a smile to the archer. "I was expecting you to come."

"E-Eh?" Umi said as she set down her things and sat at the side where Nozomi used to sit. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I figured you'd need some help to do some work since Honoka and Kotori are enjoying themselves with the others." Eli stated and gestured onto the papers in front of her. "I've done a bit of Honoka's work."

"I'm sorry, those two should have been the ones working instead of you." Umi said apologetically.

"It's alright, Umi. It was my decision to help you anyway." Eli said and handed over some papers. "Here's what you should work on first."

"Thank you." Umi said and looked up slightly, meeting the blonde's eyes for a second before she averted her gaze.

Eli noticed the action but waved it off, thinking that Umi just wanted to start with work as soon as possible.

They both worked in silence but Eli shot occasional glances over the dark haired girl. Umi seemed to be unusually restless and unfocused while she was doing work, only managing to do about one fourth of work. The archer also seemed to glance up at Eli several times, a hesitant look on her face along with her mouth opening to say something but nothing came out, instead she just returned to work.

It was the third time Umi dropped her pencil when Eli sighed.

"Umi," Eli called out, making the said girl flinch. "Let's stop for now."

"Eh—" Umi shot her head up from under the table and hit her head accidentally with a loud thud. "Ow!"

"Umi!" Eli said, startled. She stood up from her seat and pulled Umi onto her feet. "Geez, be careful."

"S-Sorry." Umi said and rubbed her forehead as she was pushed down to sit by Eli. The blonde then kneeled down and leaned in.

"Can I see?" Eli asked as she held the archer's hand that was covering the her forehead.

Umi gave a hesitant nod and let Eli take her hand off. The blonde very gently grazed her palm over the archer's forehead, pushing away her dark blue hair out of the way. There was a small portion red raw skin on the left side of her forehead.

Eli sighed and stood up. "We'll have to get an ice pack on our way." The blonde then started packing up and insisted that Umi should just stay put.

"What about work? We haven't finished yet." Umi stated, looking over the papers she was supposed to work on.

"How about you come to my house? We could finish these there." Eli suggested.

"E-Eh?" Umi said, a surprised expression on her face.  _Staying at Eli's house? Being by the side of the person who I am dying to ask a ton of questions to? Thanks but I believe I would pass._

"It's just a suggestion." Eli replied and glanced at the papers on the table. "If it's alright with you, then I'll take these home to finish it."

"No." Umi said. "Honoka and Kotori should be the ones taking those home and working on it."

"It's due next week, Umi. Do you have time to visit them this weekend?" Eli asked while arranging the papers and looking at Umi.

"I... uhhh..." Umi muttered, looking at the other side of the room, away from Eli's gaze.

"Thought so." Eli said with a grin as she stood up and walked to the archer. "It's decided then." She took Umi's hand in her own and pulled the archer up onto her feet.

The blonde held Umi's hand as they both walked through the empty halls of the school. They stopped at the infirmary where Eli managed to find a small ice pack for Umi's head. After ensuring that Umi was holding the ice pack onto her head, they both left the school.

"Are you okay? Do you feel dizzy or anything?" Eli asked, concerned as she held out her hand where the archer placed the melted ice pack.

"No, I'm fine." Umi responded simply without sparing a look to the blonde.

"If you say so." Eli said, tucking away the melted ice pack in her bag. They stopped at the edge of the street, waiting for the stoplight to turn red so they could pass.

Eli looked at Umi with worried eyes. For the whole time they were with each other, Eli knew that there was something wrong with the archer. Her eyes were only focused onto the ground and her posture was off. She seemed to be distracted and puzzled about something and Eli had a hunch that she hoped was wrong.

After about thirty seconds, the stoplight turned red and they could finally continue on their way. They were silent for the rest of the walk with the exception of apologizing to some people who Umi had bumped into accidentally. Eight minutes passed and the two arrived at Eli's apartment.

"I'm home, Alisa!" Eli announced as she took off her shoes.

"Sorry for intruding." Umi said, taking off her shoes as well just as Alisa sprinted to them and pulled them into a hug.

"You're not intruding at all, Umi-san! In fact, welcome home, Onee-chan, Umi-san!" Alisa exclaimed excitingly, cuddling the older two as Eli gave her a smile while rubbing the top of her head.

"Okay, okay. I brought her here for us to do some work." Eli said as she and Umi pulled away from Alisa's hug.

"Okay, I'll be in my room doing my work as well." Alisa beamed as she held both Eli's and Umi's hands and dragged them into the living room.

"Call me if you need help alright?" Eli said as the younger blonde ran off to her room and waved enthusiastically before she was out of sight.

Silence ensued in the apartment right after the door to Alisa's room closed. Eli turned her head and looked at the archer. There she goes again. Umi was biting her lip and looking away again.

"Umi." Eli said, the archer flinched and immediately looked up. "Shall we start?"

"I-I... Um, I m-mean... Yes." Umi replied with a shaky voice as she was pushed down to sit once more by the blonde and moments later, papers were given to her.

-/-

They worked silently for an hour, only questions and some muttering leaving their lips. Eli was relieved that Umi had finally regained her focus on doing work; it seemed that the lighter atmosphere in the apartment had helped Umi greatly, but Eli still can't help but wonder what Umi was so hesitant and puzzled about

"And, we are finished!" Eli said with a smile as she stacked the papers on the table neatly before she stretched her arms out.

"Indeed, we are." Umi replied with a relieved look on her face as she finally relaxed into her seat.

"Hey, Umi... What time is it...?" Eli asked, leaning back onto her chair.

"Um... Let's see..." Umi said and pulled out her phone from her bag. "8:17 pm."

"Oh, is that so..." Eli replied and an idea popped up in her head, making her excitedly jolt up. "How about you stay here for dinner, Umi?"

"Eh?" Umi said, a surprised expression on her face as she looked at the blonde who had a grin on her face.

"Come on, I'll let you be the first one to taste my cooking." Eli said as she stood up and winked playfully at the archer before she walked to the kitchen after calling Alisa who came in running with a smile on her face.

-/-

"Oh, wow..." Umi said, her eyes widening at the food before her. Although there were only two plates filled with what Umi thought were dumplings, bread on the other plate and another bowl filled with red soup...? She couldn't help but think that it was a feast prepared just for her.

"I hope... We didn't prepare too much food..." Eli said with a nervous chuckle as she sat down, Alisa was seated on her right while Umi, on her left.

"M-May I ask what are these...?" Umi said shakily, too overwhelmed to make the first move.

"Ah," Eli grinned and looked to her right. "Alisa."

"This is pelmeni, Umi-san." Alisa said, pointing to the dumplings. "This one's pirozhki," She pointed to the bread. "And this is borscht!" She pointed to the red soup.

"I-Is that so...?" Umi stuttered. She didn't know any of the food that was in front of her at the moment and it made her feel quite uncomfortable, but fortunately (or unfortunately), Eli saw through her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"As you've probably noticed from the names of the foods, these are Russian. It's just regular home cooking though..." Eli said, patting Umi's shoulder twice before she held her utensils and Umi's plate and proceeded to serve her.

"Here you go." Eli said with a smile, placing a small bowl filled with borscht at Umi's left hand side.

"T-Thank you..." Umi said. Her plate was served to her by Eli, it included a few of the dumplings and two pieces of the bread. Eli also recommended her to eat the borscht and pelmeni with something called smetana which Umi figured was the white cream on top of the soup.

"Thank you for the food!" The three said in unison and they started eating.

-/-

"How was it, Umi?" Eli asked with a grin on her face as she and Alisa continued to wash the dishes.

"It was wonderful, I never knew you were such a great cook." Umi said, her voice coming from the dining table where she was watching over the two.

"Yup! Onee-chan makes the best food!" Alisa agreed enthusiastically.

"Aw, thanks." Eli replied, smiling. "So Umi, does that mean you'll be having your meals here often?"

"Wha— I-I... uhhh..." Umi said, a blush on her face before she turned to face the side. "M-Maybe."

The two sisters bursted out giggling as they finished up washing the dishes and went to the living room while the archer followed. Umi heard the two mumble some things but she didn't get to make out the words.

"Oh my," Eli said, turning to face the archer. "It's already 9 pm."

"E-Eh?" Umi said and muttered something under her breath before she continued. "I'll be taking my leave then."

"Of course not, Umi. You're staying here."

-/-

"I really can't believe that you would actually stay." Eli chuckled, handing over her spare clothes to the archer who was at the door of the bathroom.

"Was I allowed to refuse?" Umi said after she muttered a quick 'thank you' to the blonde and set down the clothes next to the stack of towels.

"Nope." Eli grinned. "It's late and it might be dangerous for you to walk outside alone."

"Thank you for the concern but I believe I can take care of myself." Umi said in reply.

"You'll never know, Umi." Eli said and gave a wink to the archer. "Anyways, I'll be at the living room, so if you need me for something, just shout but not too loud though."

"Alright, thank you." Umi then closed the door leaving the blonde outside.

"That archer..." Eli smiled for a second then released a soft sigh before she walked to the living room.

She sat down at the sofa and leaned back into her seat. Placing a hand onto her ear, she slid on her earpiece and turned it on.

_=== Current time: 9:21:57 pm_

Eli rubbed her left temple and closed her eyes.  _It'll be hell starting tomorrow..._  She opened her eyes slowly to the sound of footsteps approaching and found her sister standing next to the sofa.

"Alisa..." Eli said tiredly and opened her arms, gesturing a hug.

The younger blonde silently approached and embraced her older sister. Eli sighed again and relaxed into her embrace.  _Warm..._ She thought as she placed her chin on her sister's shoulder.

"Onee-chan." Alisa pulled away and sat on the older blonde's left side.

"I'll be back home by Monday." Eli said, her voice lacking any energy. "The agency says I'll have to stay there for the weekend."

"Oh, okay." Alisa replied with a sad tone. "Did Sonoda-san approve of this?"

"He doesn't have any say in it... It's the higher-ups' order." Eli stated. "If he would have a say in it then he'd probably not allow me to stay at the agency. He and Umi have the same you're-not-allowed-to-overwork-yourself attitude."

"Onee-chan, you're not allowed to overwork yourself." Alisa said, her voice sounding concerned.

"But it's my habit already..." Eli whined, rolling to her right side.

"Hey, Alisa..." Eli called after a moment. Alisa responded with a hum. "Do you think I should tell them? About my job..."

"No!" Alisa said loudly, making Eli tell her to quiet down and she muttered a short apology. "I don't think you should... I mean, isn't it a rule to only limit the people who knows about your job?"

"That's true... But I'm tired of lying..." Eli replied with a stressed tone.

"Just... Keep it up until you graduate..." Alisa said sadly in which Eli responded with a soft hum. "You should rest now, it's going to be a long weekend for you."

-/-

"I must say you look cute in my clothes, Umi." Eli teased, appearing at the door way, a towel in her hand. Her hair was down and wet from the shower she took after Umi.

"Mou, Eli..." Umi said shyly. It was true, although her clothes were just simple, Eli lend her clothes that complimented her dark blue hair and light skin, not to mention that it smelled like lemongrass.

"Ehehe..." Eli giggled and placed the towel on her hair as she sat down next to the archer. Like Umi, her clothes were also simple, namely a tank top and shorts, it fitted her perfectly; showing off her long arms and legs.

"Eli," Umi called, her eyes trailing down the blonde's arms. "You're injuries from before... had it healed up?" She asked uncertainly.

"Yup, the cuts are gone and the bruises are fading away." Eli said and lifted off a part of her top, exposing the skin just below her breasts where there were only a small area in which blue and yellow discoloration are present.

"Thank goodness..." Umi mumbled in relief, she intended that her words were to only be inside her head but she accidentally let it out.

"Aw, Umi, I didn't know you were so worried about me." Eli said, she sniffed and wiped invisible tears on the edge of her eyes.

"E-Eli!"

"Just kidding! Ehehe..."

"Hmph..." Umi said, puffing her cheeks out and pouting before she looked away. "I-I am worried about you..."

"No need to be worried about me, okay? I'm alright." Eli replied and softly pinched Umi's cheeks. She gave the latter a smile before she started to comb her hair.

"Hey, Umi." Eli called.

"Yes?"

"Hmm..." Eli hummed, contemplating about what to say. She shook her head and said, "Never mind."

"What is it?" Umi asked, curious. Eli's tone was quite different from her tone a moment ago, almost like she was wanting to ask or say something important.

"Never mind, it's nothing." Eli said, dismissing Umi's question with a wave of a hand. "I'm tired, let's go to sleep."

The blonde lay down on her side, facing the other way and pulled her blanket over. Umi did the same but she was slow and hesitant, nevertheless she faced the blonde's back. She sighed quietly and lay on her back, she stared at the ceiling until drowsiness took over her and she fell asleep.

Eli listened closely to hear Umi's soft breathing and figured that the archer was asleep. She rolled to her other side and sure enough, the archer was in a deep sleep.  _Knowing her..._ With a sigh, Eli closed her eyes and she fell into slumber.

-/-

"Like I said! It's 1 am in the morning and you want Ayase to go out for a mission?! She's already staying here for the weekend! Why can't you assign another agent?!" Ryuu bellowed, not caring about the fact that he was taking back to his superior.

"Ryuu, Ayase is Rank 1. Our other agents will fail if the mission was assigned to them, and let me remind you that being an agent requires you to be ready and active 24/7/365." The operations head said as he eyed Ryuu. "Have you forgotten your days as an agent? I believe you were rank 1 before as well."

Ryuu stayed silent but his blood was still boiling with anger. He cursed internally and restrained himself from talking back once more.

The operations head chose not to anger Ryuu further and instead said, "So, will you allow her to do the mission?"

Ryuu remained silent for a few seconds before he gave a curt nod.

-/-

Eli awoke to a sharp pain piercing the right side of her head. She grit her teeth and reached up to press the button on her earpiece.

_=== Received Message: OHD_

_"View."_  Eli whispered, sighing in relief when the pain was gone.

_=== [Urgent mission, report to the agency now. We'll fill you in with the details once you arrive. Be in your gear.]_

The blonde cursed internally and kicked off the blanket over her, forgetting about her friend that was next to her. In her haste, she barely even heard or felt the movement of the girl next to her.

She pulled out her uniform from the closet and put in on swiftly. She also grabbed a piece of paper and pen and made a short note before she rushed out the door after grabbing her phone.

With a soft thud, the door of Eli's room closed.

Bright amber stood out in the dark, it came from Umi's wide amber orbs. She missed the sounds of footsteps behind the door because all she could think of was that, it was true: Eli is an agent.

-/-

Umi eyes fluttered open, she was on her side, facing where Eli was supposed to be. She sighed and sat up, pushing the blanket off. After rubbing her eyes once or twice, she stood up and walked out of the room.

"Umi-san!"

_Ah, Alisa's here._

"Good morning, Alisa." Umi said and faked a yawn. "Where's Eli? She isn't my side when I woke up..."

"Oh," Alisa replied and gave a bright smile. "Onee-chan's doing an errand right now." She held on Umi's wrist and pulled her to the kitchen. "She'll be back later. In the meantime, let's eat!"

_Alisa knows about Eli's work... As I expected..._

Umi used her free hand to gently pull away her arm from Alisa's grasp. "I apologize, I'm afraid I must go. I have everyday training at home on weekends."

"Oh... Okay." Alisa said, a hint of disappointment laced in her voice. "You can leave your borrowed clothes at the washroom after you're done changing."

"May I take it home instead? I'll return it to Eli after I've washed it." Umi requested as she stood by the door to Eli's room.

"Okay, Umi-san."

After changing clothes, Umi gathered all of her belongings along with the clothes that Eli let her borrow. She bid goodbye to Alisa and thanked Eli and her for letting her stay for the night.

_I'll just have to keep it to myself, but it's too much to take in isn't it?_

-/-

_Thud._

Eli's hands gripped the edge of the table tightly, her vision blurring. It was Sunday, about nine o'clock in the evening. Since the urgent mission that Eli received very early in the morning last Saturday, she hadn't been able to get any shut-eye due to training and other work that needed to be done.

Now, every muscle in her body ached, her head felt like it was being pounded repeatedly by a hammer, and all Eli wants to do is to sleep.

Eli heard the door to her dorm open, she grit her teeth and forced herself to face the person that entered.

"Ayase." Ryuu said as he closed the door of the dorm. He noticed the pained look on Eli's face and held her arms, gently leading her onto the bed.

"Heichou..." Eli breathed out, her head still felt like it was being relentlessly pounded, just as she was about to reach the bed, her vision blacked and her knees gave out on her.

"Ayase!" Ryuu shouted, catching the blonde. "Damn it."

Carrying most of Eli's weight, Ryuu placed the blonde onto the bed. After making sure that Eli was settled in, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a bottle which rattled at the movement.

He grabbed a nearby water bottle which he figured was Eli's and plopped some pills on his hand.

"Wake up, Ayase." Ryuu said, shaking the blonde. "Come on, you have a mission."

Eli groaned and opened her eyes, it was blurry around her. She managed to make out Ryuu's hand where there was pills and she weakly held out her hand.

Ryuu placed the tablets on Eli's hand and waited patiently for the blonde to put it in her mouth. It took about half a minute when Eli to plopped the pills in her mouth and gulped down some water.

With a gasp, Eli consumed the pills and put the bottle of water down.

"Rest. You have a mission at 11 pm sharp. I'll be back to wake you up and give you the folder containing the details as well as the medicine you have to take home." Ryuu said, placing the water bottle on the table and standing up. "Rest well."

With that, Ryuu exited Eli's dorm and the blonde fell asleep.

-/-

(Before Episode 5)

Umi slumped down onto her bed. She had just finished packing for her school trip at Okinawa which the flight was scheduled tomorrow, early in the morning.

After a whole day of activities such as training and running errands, Umi was relieved that all she had to do was to wait for dinner then she could go to sleep.

Reaching for her phone, Umi switched it on and checked the time.

_6:17 pm huh? It's still early._

Umi looked to the side and closed her eyes, distracting herself by thinking about dinner. Oh. A sudden thought struck her.  _Father is not home again…_ She thought with a frown.

The archer sighed, she rolled over onto her back and placed her arm onto her forehead as she stared at the ceiling.

Her mind drifted off from her father to Eli. For the past few days after she learned that Eli was an agent, she had been avoiding the blonde. Not entirely but enough to avoid any long conversations with her. She doesn't know exactly why she had been avoiding the blonde but nevertheless she continued to do so.

Vibrations emitting from her phone alerted the archer, successfully pulling her out of her train of thoughts.  _Speaking of the devil…_  Umi commented internally and contemplated whether or not to answer the call.

Without thinking, she answered the call.

"Hello? Umi?" Eli's voice came.

"Good evening, E-Eli…" Umi replied. "Is there any problem?"

"Nothing really," The blonde said, muffled sounds were heard for a moment before Eli's voice came again. "I'd just like to discuss things about the fashion show live and the council. Is it okay?"

"O-Oh, sure." Umi responded shakily, relieved that it wasn't anything personal.

-/-

"…So that's why I believe it would be best for me and Nozomi to work on the council while you, Honoka and Kotori are away." Eli ended.

"I agree, I'll talk to Honoka and Kotori about this." Umi said. "But, aren't you already preoccupied with other things…?"

"Other things?"

"Y-You know, like work…"

"Oh! You still remember that, huh?" Eli stated and chuckled. "I can manage, don't worry. Besides, it would only be for a few days."

"T-That's true…" Umi replied uncertainly as she sat up and looked down.  _Her work is definitely not just making reports and filing papers… It's going out on dangerous and life threatening missions… Alone._

"Umi," Eli's voice came back, her tone changed. "Can I talk about one last thing?"

"S-Sure, Eli…" Umi replied back, cautious of the blonde's change of tone.

"Why have you been avoiding me?"

"Eh? Wha-What makes you say that, E-Eli?"

"Since our sleepover, you've been avoiding me for the past few days." Eli said. "I tried to talk to you for long but you somehow end the conversation early. I was heading to your classroom when you spot me and left with an excuse to go to the washroom. I waved at you when you arrived at school but you just looked away."

Umi was speechless; how could Eli take so much details and piece them together to form a conclusion?

"Hey, Umi." Eli said with a disappointed tone. "Answer me…"

"I uhh…! Umm… I-I apologize for my rudeness, E-Eli." Umi said, hoping that the blonde would just let her actions slide.  _Knowing her, she definitely won't let me get away with this…_

"Answer, Umi… I want an answer…"

"I-It's because… I umm…" Umi tried to think of what to say but she couldn't come up with an answer. Sighing in defeat, she looked down and said. "There's… just a lot of things on my mind."

A moment of silence ensued after Umi's sentence before Eli's voice came back on the phone.

"Is that so…?" Eli said, her voice was quiet and almost sad. "Well, you should've just said so."

"I'm sor—"

"No need to apologize, Umi. Just… remember what I told you when we were at the mountains…" Eli sighed. "Well then, I'll see you soon, have a safe trip tomorrow."

With that, Eli hung up, leaving a confused Umi.

-/-

(Between Episode 5)

"Elichi…" Nozomi called out, her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at the blonde who's eyes were half closed. "Elichi!"

With a jolt, Eli was drawn out of her daze as she looked at Nozomi. Tired eyes met worried ones.

"Elichi, are you okay?" Nozomi asked, worried. "Do you want to take a short nap?"

"No… I'm fine… Don't worry." Eli replied shakily, her voice was weak and quiet.

Of course Eli knew that she was not okay at all. More work was being placed onto the blonde; student council, idol practice, school assignments and especially agent work. Eli barely had any sleep, only managing to sleep for about an hour or two and she thanked the gods that her friends hadn't noticed that she placed makeup over her eye bags.

"But Elichi, you seem really tired. Did you get enough sleep last night?" Nozomi pressed on, knowing that the blonde was lying.

"I'm fine, Nozomi." Eli stated. "I'll have a good night's rest later… For now let's just finish this…"

"How many hours of sleep did you get last night, Elichi?" Nozomi, being the troublesome girl she is, asked. She won't let Eli dodge the question.

"I told you—"

"How many hours?"

"A-An hour or two…"

"That's why," Nozomi said, a concerned look on her face as she stood up and walked over to the blonde who was looking away. "Sleep, even if it's just a few minutes. I'll be here."

She quickly snatched the pencil Eli was holding and cleared the table of the papers.

"But, Nozomi—"

"No buts." Nozomi said, patting the shoulder of the blonde. "Take it easy, I don't want you collapsing just before the fashion show live and I'm sure the rest of μ's doesn't want you to do so too."

Eli sighed in defeat. "Fine…" She muttered and crouched onto the table, crossing her arms and nuzzling her head in between, almost immediately, she fell asleep.

"Stubborn Elichi…" Nozomi chuckled as she continued working on the papers.

-/-

(After Episode 5)

"Nozomi-chan!" Honoka shouted through the halls of Otonokizaka as she ran towards the purple haired girl while her two best friends tried to catch up.

"Ah, Honoka-chan!" Nozomi exclaimed as she opened her arms.

Honoka jumped into Nozomi's open arms, pulling the both of them to a tight embrace just as Umi and Kotori arrived, panting with their hands on their knees.

"Hey, what are you two doing?" Nico's voice came as she walked to the group gathered outside the third year classroom.

"Nico-chan!" Honoka said, grinning at the older girl.

"Where's Eli?" Umi asked, noticing the missing presence of the blonde.

"She's been excused…" Nozomi replied uncertainly. "A woman came to the classroom and excused Eli out after having a quick talk with our teacher. Our teacher also said that Eli would be back but we don't know when."

"Oh…" The second years said in unison.

"Well, Eli-chan would surely be back soon. In the meantime, let's all have lunch together!" Honoka exclaimed excitingly and pulled on the two third years.

-/-

After walking for about two minutes, Umi reached the Student Council Office. She had just finished with archery practice and figured that it would be best to stay at the council since work had added up due to the school trip.

Although having Eli and Nozomi at the council had helped, when the second years arrived from the trip, there was an increase of papers and other things that needed to be done and checked.

With a sigh, Umi sat down on her usual seat and started with work, hoping that Honoka and Kotori hadn't forgotten about the council work.

-/-

Eli paced through the corridors of the school; it was already time for after school activities.

She had just come back from her emergency mission and her whole body ached. Due to her tired state, she hadn't been able to accomplish the mission unscathed and she was lucky enough that the criminals were unarmed; but that didn't mean that they weren't able to land blows on her.

Her head was pounding from the hard hit to the head that she received from one of the raging men but in the end, all of the men were knocked unconscious from Eli's blows.

The blonde rubbed her right temple in an attempt to lessen the pain as she opened the door to a room that she didn't know.

Even with her whole body spent, Eli managed a smile to the sight that greeted her.

Umi's arms were crossed on top of the table, her head resting on her arms as she slept quietly. Her soft and even breathing was heard through the silence.

Eli approached the archer quietly, making sure not to wake her up. She took off her blazer and draped it over the archer gently before she carefully moved Umi's navy blue locks away from her face. The blonde smiled, it was always nice to see the archer at times like this.

She sighed and remembered that she had to go. With a soft pat to Umi's head, Eli walked away and exited the office.

-/-

Eli gripped the edge of the classroom's window tightly.  _It's the headaches… from… the amphetamines… again…_ The blonde concluded. She had the same headaches before but due to her exhausted body and pounding head, the headache was much worse.

The blonde didn't know how many seconds or minutes had passed before she felt herself grow faint.

_No… Not here…_

Eli tried to move but her body betrayed her, with each second that ticked by, she only felt much weaker and her vision started to blur.

-/-

Umi's eyes slowly fluttered open. The first thing she saw were papers piled in front of her, reminding her of the work that she had left.

With a sigh, she sat up and felt something fall from her back. She turned around and found a blazer, carefully and hesitantly lifting it up, she recognized the familiar scent of lemongrass.

_Eli's back…? Did she come here?_

A sudden thought of how embarrassing it must be to have been seen sleeping in the office managed to make the archer's face turn red. It took a few seconds before Umi realized that she had to return the blazer and quickly, she packed up her belongings and dashed out of the room.

She walked briskly, wondering where the blonde might be. After spending about eight minutes looking around the school, Umi was about to give up when white flashed at the right side of her vision.

Stopping abruptly, Umi turned to the corridor on her right.

Her eyes widened and she took in a shaky breath; blonde locks were scattered, the figure on the floor was curled up and motionless. Umi broke into a run, falling onto her knees right next to the unconscious blonde.

Umi gently lifted up Eli's head onto her lap and shook her awake.  _Why… What happened?_

The archer bit her lip, she had a hunch that the blonde fell unconscious due to her mission, not to mention the blonde was excused for several hours. With a worried and concerned look, Umi continued to shake the blonde.

A groan escaped the lips of the blonde, signaling Umi that she was awake.

Eli opened her eyes slowly but closed it tightly and clutched her forehead when a sharp pain pierced her head.

"Eli!" Umi said, worried. She placed her hands on the blonde's shoulder, not knowing what to do.

"I'm… fine…" Eli managed to breathe out. She opened her eyes to see Umi's anxious look making her grit her teeth.

"You're not! W-What happened? How did you fall unconscious?" Umi asked frantically.

Eli waved off the questions and forced herself up, regardless of her throbbing head and weak body. She staggered slightly but luckily Umi was there to support her.

"Eli…" Umi said, a pleading look on her face.

"I'm fine, Umi. I just had a bad headache, that's all." Eli lied, her voice weak.  _Out of all people that would've found me, it just had to be you…_

"May I accompany you on the way home then…?" Umi asked. She knew the blonde was lying but knowing the reason why, she didn't press on with the questions. She then gestured to the blazer she was holding on to. "I believe this is yours as well…"

"H-How did you know this was mine…?" Eli questioned, despite her current state.

"The smell…" Umi said, a blush creeping to her cheeks. "It smells like the clothes you've lend me."

"Oh…"

"Let's go home?" Umi asked and hesitantly eld out her hand for the blonde to hold on to.

"Mnnn… Okay." Eli said, managing a small smile as she weakly took Umi's hand in her own.

A familiar ache present in her chest but like always, she forcefully pushed the feeling away. This was the consequences of bottling up your feelings: you suffer a lot and alone.

-/-


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

All that you've been hiding, your past and the truth, finally spills.

-/-

_It's been 2 years since I've joined EFO; 2 years of pain, suffering, and lies. Of course, I knew why I had to keep my identity as an agent secret, I agreed to it, signed the contract and committed to be an agent until I reach the age of 28._

_For 2 years, I've lied to my best friend but now that I have μ's, it's getting harder to lie to them. They're all such wonderful and caring girls, but my contract forbids me to tell them about my job unless such emergency arises… However, if they knew, would they still accept me as their friend?_

_A friend that had held lethal and dangerous weapons, a friend that had stained their hands with blood, a friend that is able to take a life of another._

-/-

"This is unacceptable, Ayase. I am very disappointed with you." The operations head said with a sharp tone.

Eli bowed in front of him, her expression covered by her hair but still emotionless as ever. "I deeply apologize for my insufficiency and I would accept any punishment as you see fit." She replied.

"I'll have your captain along with Ichiro discuss your punishment. For now, head to your dorm or train. We will call you when you are needed." He said sternly. "I expect you to do better in your other missions and I will not tolerate anymore insufficiency from you, Ayase."

"Yes, sir. I apologize once again." Eli responded, lifting her head up.

"Dismissed."

-/-

_=== Current time: 2:42:21 am_

Eli lay on her bed, her whole body exhausted. She rolled to her side, taking out her earpiece and reaching for the medicine bottle on her bedside table.

With a grunt, Eli sat up and as always, consumed about four different pills in one go. She placed the bottle back and glanced up, she looked for about two seconds before she laid back down.

_It's almost my birthday, huh…?_

She sighed and curled into herself after putting her blanket over herself.

_"For a month, every weekend, you will have to stay here at EFO for training. This will serve as your punishment for your insufficient performance in your last mission."_

Eli groaned, that means  _I'd have to start this week… Such a great present for my birthday…_

-/-

"Everyone! Gather up! We have something important to talk about!" Nozomi called onto the seven members present.

"What is it, Nozomi-chan?" Kotori asked, approaching the twin-tailed girl. The rest of the members settled in their usual chairs

"Elichi's birthday is coming up, so I figured that maybe we could plan a surprise for her." Nozomi explained with a grin.

"Ohhh! Nozomi-chan, nice idea!" Honoka exclaimed, pronouncing the latter part in English.

"That is certainly a great idea. What ideas do you have in mind, Nozomi?" Umi asked, her expression clearly stating that she's interested.

"Well, I gathered you all here so that we could brainstorm some ideas." Nozomi stated. "But I do have something in mind…"

-/-

"A punishment?" Ichiro repeated, his lips growing into a smile. "A beating or two would do, in fact, allow me to do it, I'm sure she'll learn her lesson."

Ryuu's eyebrow twitched, his face irritated and angered. "I will not allow any beatings be done on Ayase." He eyed Ichiro, his eyes filled with hate and disgust.

"Very well, since you both aren't capable of making a unified decision, I will let Ryuu take care of the punishment for now; and if the time comes in which Ayase needs another punishment, Ichiro will handle it." The operations head said, earning a glare from Ichiro and a relieved sigh from Ryuu.

"Ichiro, you would have to go back to your office. Ryuu and I would like to discuss in private." He said.

Ichiro stood up, and with a growl, he walked out of the office.

"So, what will it be then?" The operations head asked Ryuu.

"Several heavy training sessions would do. I'm sure, Ayase isn't the type to fail again; she would ensure what happened will not happen again." Ryuu stated

-/-

"Hah…" Eli sighed and trudged through the corridors of the school as she moved her shoulder in a circular motion, hoping to lessen the ache.

As she reached the clubroom, she noticed that the lights inside where unusual turned off.  _Are they already upstairs, practicing…?_ Another sigh escaped her lips, she twisted the door knob and entered the room.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELI-CHAN!"

Eli's eyes shot wide open as she jolted at the sudden pop that resounded through the room. In front of her was a big banner with birthday greetings and of course, the members of μ's with party hats and confetti on their hair and clothes.

"Everyone…" Eli said, her voice soft but her expression showed one of shock.

"Happy birthday, Elichi!" Nozomi exclaimed with a big smile.

"But my birthday is still tomorrow…" Eli said, her expression softening.

"We know!" Honoka said enthusiastically. "We wanted to celebrate it earlier since you told us you won't be present for tomorrow's practice or on Sunday."

"I did say that didn't I…?" Eli chuckled. "So… What's the activities for today?"

"An idol always has to spend their birthday in…" Nico began, a big grin on her face as she turned to the rest of the members.

"Akihabara!"

-/-

"Target place today is Akihabara." A figure said, a gold tooth glinted in the darkness as the figure smiled sadistically.

"Perfect! Lots of students are finished with their classes by now, right?" A voice said beside the figure. "I can't wait to hear them scream and beg."

"I know right…" Another figure agreed with a sigh.

"Now, now, boys. Let's just get started shall we?"

-/-

"Eli-chan! Nico-chan won't get me the stuff toy!" Honoka pouted in which Eli responded with a nervous chuckle.

"H-How about we all just go to the fast food restaurant? We've spend enough time here at the arcade…" Eli suggested. For some reason she had a dreadful feeling with her ever since they arrived at Akihabara.

"Are you hungry, Eli-chan?" Hanayo asked, standing in front of the claw machine as Nico and Maki stared intently at the stuff toy that was being carried by the claw.

"Kind of…" Eli replied. "B-But if you all still want to stay here it's alright."

"No, it's okay, Eli-chan!" Kotori said loudly enough for the blonde to hear through the clanks of the hockey puck being hit by Rin and Nozomi.

"Everyone!" Honoka exclaimed. "To the fast food restaurant!" She pointed enthusiastically to the door while the sparkles in her eyes twinkled.

"Wait a minute! The candy stuff toy is almost out!" Nico said in a rush, her eyes still staring intently at the stuff toy behind the claw machine's glass.

"T-That's right. After that Nico-chan will get me the tomato stuff toy so just wait for a minute…" Maki said, twirling a strand of her hair, a light blush present on her cheeks but her eyes were still glued to the stuff toy being lifted by the claw.

"These two…" Umi and Eli sighed while he rest of the members just chuckled in amusement.

-/-

"After we take out some food, we're heading to Honoka's house, nya~" Rin said, walking beside Eli.

"Is that so? Why?" Eli asked before a glint of gold was seen in her line of vision. She turned to try to find the source but Honoka jumped onto her.

"It's a surprise, Eli-chan! You'll love it!" Honoka said with her ever radiant smile.

"O-Okay…" Eli replied, hesitantly. She suddenly felt several pairs of eyes staring at her, of course it was usual for her to have fans look at her but the feeling was different: it felt dangerous. She cast occasional glances around her, trying to find the people who had their eyes on her.

"Look, look! There's new merchandise of us!" Nico said, pointing at the said items making group detour to the store at the end of the street.

"Ahhh! This is so cute!" Kotori exclaimed, lifting up a Honoka stuff toy.

"Kotori-chan, this one too!" Hanayo said, approaching the girl with a Rin stuff toy in her hands.

While the group continued to admire the new merchandise, Eli was keeping a lookout.  _Don't tell me that there's a criminal group out… But that's quite impossible isn't it._  Eli shook her head,  _what am I thinking…?_

She then felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around to find Nozomi.

"Are you alright?" Nozomi asked with concerned tone. "Are you enjoying?"

"I… Um, yeah." Eli replied, not bothering to look at the girl. "I guess I'm just overwhelmed that you and the group made an effort to prepare for my birthday…"

She then turned and smiled wide, her eyes closed. "Thank you, Nozomi."

When she opened her eyes, then realized that she was talking to no one.

She turned her heel fast, immediately spotting Nozomi's scared eyes and covered mouth as she was taken away by a man dressed in black.

"NOZOMI!"

-/-

Although Umi was against the idea of μ's chasing the man who took Nozomi, she wasn't able to do anything about it; after the group heard Eli cries out Nozomi's name, Nico started a pursuit after the man, making the group follow.

"Shouldn't we… call the police…!" Hanayo panted.

"It'll be too late then! We don't know what they would do to Nozomi!" Nico shouted, her eyes still focused onto the man running.

"But this is dangerous!" Maki protested, her features expressing worry but she still ran.

The group continued running, each with worried and hesitant expressions on their faces. They were too focused on Nozomi and barely even noticed that they were led to a dead end where two walls faced each other while another wall connected the two of them with only one way out.

The man stopped in front of the wall, turning around and smirking as he shoved Nozomi down onto the floor.

"I must say, you all have the nerve to run after me." The man said, grabbing a fistful of Nozomi's hair and lifting her up, earning a pained yelp from the girl.

"Stop!" Kotori pleaded as she stepped forward. "Please just give our friend back!"

"And what if I won't give her back?" He smirked and brought Nozomi's face closer to his which in turn the girl struggled to back away. "You'll fight back?" The man asked, the group.

The group was silent, some biting their lips and the others glancing around hesitantly.

"I'll take that as a no, either way, I don't care. Y'all aren't leaving here unscathed." The man had a sadistic grin on his face. "Come on out boys!"

Thuds were heard around the group, making them jolt in surprise. There were two doors that opened with two people exiting.

A gasp was heard from Hanayo and Rin who were already cowering in fear as the four men that arrived surrounded the group. The rest of the members were glancing around, trying to find an opening so they could escape but with only one way out; there was no escape.

Nozomi was visibly struggling on the floor as she shot occasional worried glances to her friends.

"There we go, 7 high school girls against 4 men, I guess you could call that fair right?" The man in front said as he place his hand in his jacket.

"Oh, and, in case you all would happen to beat my men," A click was heard. "Consider your friend's life, taken."

All of a sudden, a gust of wind and a resounding thud came in front Nozomi where a hooded figure landed.

A two second passed and even Nozomi wasn't able to register what happened first; the figure pulled out a gun and fired, shooting the man in his shoulder making him let go of his gun and at the next second, the man was on the ground a gun pointed to his head.

"If you're able to take someone else's life, then, I'm sure you, yourself is eager to die as well." A low voice emitted from the figure.

The man hissed, gesturing his men to stay put as he gripped his shoulder in pain.

The figure lowered it's gun and stepped backwards to where Nozomi is. Quickly stowing the gun away, the figure pulled out a knife and broke the cuffs binding Nozomi's wrists together. Nozomi quickly took off the cloth around her mouth and ran to the rest of the group where she collapsed in Nico's arms.

_Click._

"Umi!" Maki cried.

The archer's head shot up, immediately spotting a gun pointed to her. Her eyes widened and she barely had the time to react before—

_BANG!_

Silence filled the alley before a clank was heard. Umi opened her eyes to find the bullet an inch away from the front of her face, the gun dropped on the floor. She slowly backed up, her back hitting Kotori's but she didn't bother to mutter a sorry because clearly everyone in the alley had their attention to the bullet.

"Elite Force Organization, Agent 06-042, Rank 1."

Umi's eyes widened as a number flashed in her mind, she then looked at the figure carefully, spotting a bit of blonde hair at the side of the figure's covered head as it's arm was raised in the direction of where μ's is.  _That's Eli…_

"Open fire!" One of the men shouted suddenly, and immediately, bullets came in but it didn't penetrate through the barrier that the group concluded that the figure made.

"It's no use. It won't penetrate." The figure spoke once more. "Give up. Before things start to get messy."

"Never! I won't get captured again!" The man who was shot in the shoulder shouted at the figure. "The blonde agent already did a number on me before and I won't let myself be beaten again! Boys! Attack!"

Immediately after the man said that, his comrades stopped shooting and turned their attention to the figure.

One of the men pulled out his knife and charged at the figure. Barely anyone saw what had happened, the next thing they knew was that the man was on the floor, a long gash on his arm.

In rage, the other three men charged at the figure, each holding either a dagger or a gun. Bullets came flying into the direction of the figure but the figure dodged it easily until all the bullets were used up.

The figure then ducked, successfully dodging the punch that was incoming and managing a counterattack to his groin. The figure then turned and kicked the man behind her, knocking him a few feet away.

The last man then charged at the figure, he slashed his dagger, trying to at least injure the figure before he was taken down, but the figure was too fast, he didn't even see that the figure was holding a knife until his chest was slashed. With a high kick to his head, the man fell onto the floor, unconscious.

Panting slightly, the figure stood up and approached the remaining conscious men, giving them a hard hit to the head, rendering them unconscious.

"No, no, no! What are you all doing?! You weaklings!" The man who remained conscious shouted angrily and frantically as he tried to move to reach for his gun, but given that his shoulder was shot, he won't be able to move that much.

"Struggling won't do anything. Kaji Atsushi."

The man froze, a second passed and he very slowly and shakily turned to look at the figure who was looking down on him. He spotted the same sharp and cold blue eyes from before and he took in a shaky breath.

"Y-You're the blonde agent…" Atsushi stated, his blood then started boiling, and he stood up, wavering in his footing but barely even noticing the pain in his shoulder. "I'll kill you!"

Faster than what than anticipated, Atsushi charged, making the both of them fall to the ground.

-/-

Umi stepped forward as she grit her teeth but she stayed in place.

"Isn't… that Eli-chan…?" Hanayo said uncertainly as she pointed in front, although she did say it softly, it was enough to catch the attention of the other members.

A sudden grunt caught their attention followed by gasps from the members.

Standing in front of them was their friend, her blonde hair stood out from her ripped hood. Eli held onto her bloody knife, her face emotionless.

Atsushi was on the other side of the alley, his face clearly stating that he was in pain as he clutched his stomach where a new wound was found.

"I swear, I will kill you!" Atsushi shouted, as Eli approached.

Eli's dead eyes pierced through his as she grabbed a fistful of his hair. Atsushi shook as Eli's face came closer and he tried desperately to move away.

"Too slow." Eli said before she harshly banged Atsushi's head onto the floor.

-/-

Eli stood up slowly, her head bowed as she flicked her knife to take away the blood.

The rest of the members were frozen, either from fear or shock. It took a minute before the group started to feel awkward, and Nico decided to confront the blonde despite Nozomi still shaking in her arms.

"Hey, Eli." Nico began, her face clearly confused and hesitant. "What… Was that?"

"I'm sorry. You all shouldn't have experienced or seen that." Eli said as she silently tucked away her knife.

"Eli-chan… Can we move?" Hanayo asked hesitantly, remembering that Eli happened to form a barrier around them.

Eli nodded and quietly muttered, "Deactivate." Unfortunately for Eli, a sharp pain pierced the right side of her head where her earpiece was located, catching her off guard and causing her to clutch the side of her head in pain and release a sudden gasp.

"Eli!" Umi shouted worriedly, running immediately to the blonde as if she wasn't in an area where there are unconscious and bleeding men.

Umi slowly peeled away Eli's hand from her head. She took in a shaky breath. Blood was dripping from Eli's ear where her earpiece was and Umi wasn't sure if it was still flowing or not.

"Maki! Help me!" Umi called out to the girl, her expression enough to alert the other members.

The group went to where the archer and the blonde is, their eyes widening at the blood at the side of Eli's head.

Very carefully, Umi pulled out the earpiece in the blonde's ear, however, it caused Eli to shake and suppress a gasp from the intensified pain but she then relaxed slightly soon after.

"Eli… May we?" Umi asked, gesturing to the blonde's ear.

Eli managed a nod in response.

-/-

"Can you walk?" Maki asked, holding onto Eli's arm to support her.

"I can…" Eli stated. Her ear was temporarily wrapped up with Umi and Nozomi's handkerchief and luckily, the blood stopped flowing.

"What are we going to do now…?" Kotori wondered uncertainly, still shocked from what had happened.

"Maybe we should go to my house…? We're just leaving the c-criminals here, right…?" Honoka said, her tone nervous and unsure.

Most of the members were shocked, some choosing not to say anything and others saying things with uncertainty. Nozomi kept quiet, understandable because of her experience awhile ago, but she refused to look at her best friend. Umi helped the blonde but still wary of her actions.

"I apologize but I believe we would have to postpone the celebration you all had planned… We must go to my place. I know all of you are full of questions about what had happened, therefore, I will answer your questions there." Eli said in a monotone.

"A-Alright, then. Where to?"

-/-

It was just a five minute walk to Eli's house. Along the way, Eli had to take off her jacket due to her ripped hood and so as to not let others identify her as an agent.

"I'm home." Eli said, loud enough for Alisa to come rushing in.

"Welco—" Alisa stopped mid sentence, noticing the handkerchief around Eli's head as well as the rest of the members of μ's with hesitant looks on their faces. Eli gave her a sad look and she understood.

"Welcome!" Alisa still exclaimed with a grin as she led the group to the living room.

"Do you want some tea or anything?" The younger blonde asked, acting so lively despite the noticeable tension in the room.

"Tea is fine, I believe." Eli said, giving Alisa a weak smile which in turn the younger blonde gave her a big and encouraging smile as she disappeared into the kitchen.

Silence then fell into the room, everyone looked down, refusing to speak up.

"I'm sure everyone here has questions about what had happened, I will answer those questions but we have very limited time." Eli said, breaking the silence but the room soon fell silent once again.

"Well… I think we could start with why Eli-chan was able to do what she did…" Rin said unsurely, missing her usual 'nya' at the end of her sentence.

"It's part of my work." Eli stated. "I have mentioned Elite Force Organization a while ago, did I not? I believe you are aware of it," She turned to a certain blue haired girl. "Umi."

Umi bit her lip, aware of the members' gaze on her.

"What is this Elite Force Organization anyway?" Nico asked, averting the attention to the question.

"It's an organization that focuses on eliminating criminal groups on the loose. If you've ever wondered why Japan has a low crime rate, we agents are the reason why that is, because we stop the criminals before a crime is committed." Eli said.

"So there are more agents like you?" Hanayo asked unsurely.

"Yes."

To everyone's surprise, it was Umi who answered. Even Eli, who remained stoic all this time, had a slightly surprised expression on her face.

"My father…" Umi began as she avoided Eli's gaze. "He was an agent before. I believe he is your captain as of now, Eli."

"That's true." Eli said, averting her gaze. "How long have you known?"

"I-I just had a hunch… You were occasionally injured and overworked at some points, it reminded me of my father." Umi stated. "I've also found your agent file at my father's office…"

"So, that's why." Eli sighed. Sensing the confusion among the rest of the members, Eli then started to explain.

-/-

Eli finished her explanation with another sigh. Silence then ensued in the room as the members took in the information. Alisa then arrived, a tray in her hands with cups filled with tea.

"Is everyone okay?" Alisa asked, noticing the silence in the room as she set down the tray and started handing it over to the members. The members responded with a slight nod and Eli gestured to her ear. Quickly grabbing her first aid kit from her room, Alisa then proceeded to take away the makeshift bandage around her ear.

"Onee-chan, what did you do now?" Alisa said with a sad tone in her voice.

"Sorry, I had to put a barrier and keep it in tact longer than usual." Eli responded, glad that the pain from before had lessened but it was still present. The younger blonde then handed over her medicines along with a glass of water.

"Does Alisa know about your work, Eli?" Maki asked, her eyes showing concern for the younger blonde who loved her older sister so much.

"Yes, I am aware of it." Alisa responded while treating Eli's bloodied ear. "I am against her work, if that's what you're about to ask."

"Then why is she still doing her work when you're against it?"

"Because she doesn't have any choice." Alisa stated sadly as she finished treating Eli's ear.

"What do you mean, Alisa-chan?" Nozomi, who was quiet all this time, asked. Her eyes showing concern for the two sisters; for some reason, she felt an ache in her chest, one that usually warns her that there is something wrong.

"Onee-chan," Alisa looked at her sister for confirmation and Eli smiled weakly in response.

"I'll be going to the agency, I need to report about what had happened and attend to other things." Eli said, standing up as she slid in her earpiece and grabbed her new jacket that her sister had prepared for her. "Alisa can fill you about your other questions."

With that, the blonde left, leaving her sister looking at her longingly.

"Alisa-chan," Honoka called out, concern present in her voice. "Are you okay?"

"I'll have to prepare the first aid kit again for later." Alisa sighed sadly. "Anyway, regarding your questions, I'll be answering them so ask away."

-/-

"What the hell happened, Ayase?!" The operations head shouted in anger as he banged on his desk, but still, Eli remained stoic.

"If I may—" Ryuu attempted to interrupt but the head's rage seemed out of control.

"Do you realize the chances of your identity to be recognized?!"

"I do understand the recklessness of my actions, but my friends are in danger, I couldn't let them be hurt." Eli stated, knowing that her argument was invalid.

The operation's head inhaled deeply in an attempt to calm down but Eli and Ryuu knew that once he gets mad, it will take a lot of time for him to cool off.

"I've made my decision." He said in a restrained voice, as if he was restraining himself to shout. "Along with your previous punishment, you will be one of Ichiro's agents for a month."

Ryuu grit his teeth, anger rising up from within, but he knew that the head's decision won't change and it was best not to anger him much more. He glanced at Eli who remained stoic, however, her eyes showed fear and pain.

"I'll have a short talk with Ichiro, for now, stay at your dorm. Dismissed."

-/-

"She spent six years in the academy, excelling in several martial arts, weapon handling, swordplay, and academic education. That's why she's able to fight off several men at the same time." Alisa ended. She had just explained the school Eli went to and everything about EFO including how Eli was recruited.

"So that's why…" Nozomi muttered sadly. The rest of the members had sad looks on their faces.

"Why did she do all of this? Why did she go to that school? Why is she an agent?" Umi said, her expression confused and forlorn; she had mixed feelings about everything she heard.

"I told you already, Umi-san." Alisa said. "She doesn't have any choice."

"But why?! She's old enough to make decisions! Others aren't supposed to be the one to decide for her!" Umi shouted, making the other members jolt at her suddenly raised voice. Alisa just smiled sadly in response.

"Umi-san, to you, Onee-chan is your friend. To me, she is my adorable and dorky older sister. But to the people at EFO," Alisa frowned. "She's a weapon. She's someone who is capable of manipulating, injuring, and even killing others."

Umi fell silent, her eyes widening at the latter part of Alisa's sentence.

"D-Does that mean E-Eli-chan have killed p-people before…?" Rin asked nervously.

Alisa shook her head, relieving the group. "Onee-chan values life. She says everyone deserves to live, but…she is capable of killing if she is forced to."

"EFO can force her to kill?" Maki had a shocked expression when she asked that, however she only received a nod from Alisa. She dismissed the question, knowing that the younger blonde wouldn't want to talk about it.

"Anyway, I hope what I said wouldn't make your friendship with Onee-chan falter, you all have a very special place in her heart and it would break her if she would lose all of you." Alisa stated, managing a weak smile. "She's lost a lot of important things in her life and she can't bear to lose anything more."

-/-

"So you're under my control now…" Ichiro smirked at Eli who was coughing at the floor, having just been punched by Ichiro.

"Stand up." He ordered coldly.

Eli forced herself up despite her abdomen aching. She grit her teeth, the fear she had once thrown away, coming back again.

"The head told me to deliver any punishment that I would see fit. Now, tell me, why do you deserve to be punished?" Ichiro asked politely, as if it wasn't an insult at all.

Eli grit her teeth, she knew what Ichiro's tactics were; his goal is to break her, physically and mentally. "I have risked my identity as an agent and have let my friends know about my work, sir."

"Is that so…?" Ichiro restrained himself from laughing. "Well then I'm sure the head made the right decision to put your under my care." He smirked.

A thud then resounded through the room a second later.

-/-

After μ's had known what they need to know, the all reluctantly left. Alisa wondered if all the information she had said was overwhelming.

With a sigh, she continued cleaning up the table and brought the half filled tea cups to the kitchen.  _I hope Onee-chan's friends will accept the fact that she's an agent…_

Alisa sighed, she knew everything won't be the same as before but she just hoped that her sister won't go through depression once again because of this.

A sudden memory then flashed in her mind. She smiled sadly.

"Where's the old, Onee-chan I know?"

-/-

Umi arrived at home with a sigh. After slowly taking off her shoes, she carefully slipped into her room, hoping that her mom didn't notice her arrival.

Her shoulders drooped and her posture was off than usual.

Although she despises laziness, she wanted nothing more than to lay in bed and sleep, even though she knew that there was still a lot of things for her to do. She breathed deeply as she sat in her study desk, looking over the schedule she made awhile back.

With a sigh, she leaned forward and tucked her head in between her arms.

_I can't believe what happened today… I must be dreaming…_

She tried to convince herself that everything would be normal by tomorrow, but she can't guarantee what would happen on the day they come back to school.

"Umi." A deep familiar voice said. "May I come in?"

"Yes, father." Umi replied without even lifting up her head. She stayed in the same position when she heard the sound of the door opening.

"Are you alright?"

She felt a hand on her back that signaled her to raise her head. She sat up straight as she looked directly in front of her and nodded.

"I heard about what happened." Ryuu stated. "How do you feel about it?"

"Did you come back from work?" Umi asked, completely ignoring her father's question. Ryuu gave a short 'yes' in response.

"How's… Eli doing…?" Umi bit her lip. "You're her captain right…?"

"Yes but at the moment, her captain is different. Regarding her well being, it'll be a lie if I say that she's alright." Ryuu let out a stressed sigh. "She's undergoing punishments from the agency due to her failure in one of her missions and due to what had happened awhile ago."

"Why?"

"A limited number of people are allowed to know about her work, I'm sure you already knew that, Umi. Relatives are the only ones allowed to know as well as Otonokizaka; friends must not know."

Umi slumped onto her desk once more with a defeated sigh. "Even the school knows… Why can't we know?"

"Because you all are too young to understand why and what's happening."

"Eli's almost the same age as me, we're old enough to understand!"

"You all are less experienced than Ayase. She's been dealing with this kind of situation since she was 8, making her more experienced than the rest of you." Ryuu stated firmly.

"So… You too…?"

"What?"

Umi then turned to face him with a sudden thud. The corner of her eyes had tears in them as she glared at her father intensely, her eyes meeting her father's. "You also think that Eli's just a weapon only to be used for missions?"

Ryuu fell silent, he didn't expect such a question to come out of the blue. "I…" He trailed off, trying to find the right words to say while averting his eyes from Umi's intense glare.

Umi wanted an answer, if her father was one of them, then she wouldn't forgive him. Her impression of EFO had changed; it wasn't an organization that protected the people, it was an organization that creates efficient and disposable 'weapons' to rid of criminals lurking around the country.

"Are you one of them…?"

Her heart was beating fast and she shook, trying to desperately stop the tears that were threatening to fall out of her eyes. All that she felt were all mixed: anger, sadness, worry, pain… Even she couldn't make out what and why she was feeling all these emotions.

"No." Ryuu answered but it was clear that he was unsure and hesitant.

With an angered and disappointed look, Umi turned away and hung her head. "Just leave me alone. Please."

-/-

A loud thud was heard from the entrance, awaking Alisa from her sleep. Despite her half asleep state, she kicked off the blankets covering her and immediately paced to where she heard the thud came from.

She took in a shaky breath as her eyes met with the fallen form of her sister.

Eli was shaking uncontrollably on the floor, her eyes were closed tight as her hand clasped her side tightly.

"A-Alisa…" Eli breathed out shakily.

"Onee-chan…" Alisa said softly but loud enough for Eli to hear.

She approached the blonde and gently took her by the arm. "Onee-chan, can you move?"

Eli didn't reply but tried to help herself up. She felt her arm go around Alisa's shoulder but she couldn't really see well due to her exhausted state. "I'm… s-sorry…" Eli managed to say.

"It's okay, Onee-chan." Alisa replied, carrying half of Eli's weight. Although Eli was much heavier than her, she learned to carry her weight due to the times Eli was too weak to do so.

Alisa started trudging to Eli's room, her footsteps were heavy due to Eli's weight but she continued walking.

When she reached Eli's room, she gently placed the older girl onto the bed as she tried to catch her breath. She then started taking off Eli's clothes, being careful not to hurt her.

"Onee-chan…" Alisa sighed sadly as her eyes spotted black and purple bruises covering Eli's ribs and abdomen.

"I-I'm fine…" Eli said after hearing her sister's muffled voice.

Alisa lightly and very gently touched one of Eli's bruises but the older blonde winced immediately. With another sigh, Alisa made her way to the refrigerator where there was an ice pack prepared.

When Alisa came back, Eli was in the same position that she had left her but with her arm covering her eyes. Eli winced again when the ice pack came in contact with her skin but she relaxed soon after knowing what it was.

"T-Thank you, Alisa… For e-everything…" There was a crack in Eli's voice and the younger blonde immediately knew that she was crying.

"D-Don't worry, Onee-chan. I'll always be here for you." Alisa said, tears falling from her eyes as well.

-/-

Monday came in and the members of μ's acted the same but clearly there was something off about when they come together.

Umi walked silently to the Student Council Office after finishing up her training at the dojo.

The whole day was a blur for her and she guessed that the teachers knew something about what had happened since all of the teachers avoided asking questions to the members of μ's. Idol practice was quite awkward as well, with the absence of Eli, there was an uncomfortable atmosphere around them but they decided to talk about what happened.

The next day was, thankfully, much better, most of the members talked during practice, Eli was present during the time and the members tried to talk to her but Eli remained silent.

From what Nozomi had said, even during class Eli refused to talk and went to the library during break.

A sigh escaped her lips and she turned in the corner without looking, successfully making her bump into another person.

"Excuse me!" Umi said as she backed up, her eyes trailing up until she found the familiar color of blonde. "Eli…?" Her amber eyes met pained and teary blue eyes.

When Umi finally looked at Eli's face, there were tear stains present on her cheeks and her eyes were swollen and red. Umi then felt an aching pain in her chest as she looked into Eli's eyes. Her eyes showed something that the archer never saw, Eli's eyes were pleading, begging for the pain to stop, for everything to just end.

"A-Ah, U-Umi." Eli sniffed, her head bowed. "S-Sorry for bumping into you, I didn't know where I was going."

"Are you…"

"It's n-nothing." A crack in her voice. "Sorry for bumping into you again, see you."

Eli turned her heel to get out of Umi's way so as to leave but Umi's hand gripped her wrist tight, not letting her go.

"Can I talk to you?" Umi asked quietly, knowing that Eli would say no. "I just wanted to ask about… things. Please?"

Umi heard a sniff from Eli as she brought her hand to her face, seemingly wiping away her tears before she reluctantly turned to face the archer and nodded.

The archer gave a small smile and started walking to a nearby empty classroom. "Are you alright?"

Eli gave no reply but stayed silent as they arrived in the empty classroom.

"How have you been?" Umi asked, trying to at least get a decent answer from the blonde. She heard Eli mutter something under her breath but she didn't catch it.

"Pardon?"

"The agency…just gave me a punishment."

"W-What?" Umi's face contorted into one of confusion as she let go of Eli's wrist which she had been holding. "What do you mean, E-Eli?"

Eli avoided Umi's eyes as she took off her blazer and unbuttoned a several of her polo's buttons. Umi took in a sharp shaky breath, spotting once again something she dreaded; turquoise hues adorned Eli's skin, some darker than others but it covered most of Eli's ribs and abdomen.

"What happened…?" Umi asked as she swallowed the lump in her throat.

"My captain changed," Eli said while fixing her uniform. "His name's Ichiro. He was my previous captain and is quite abusive to his agents, especially to me."

"Why?" Umi said, still confused but Eli responded with a shake of her head, telling her that she didn't want to talk about it. "Well, we should get those bruises treated… Hold on, I'll get some ice from the infirmary."

As Umi was about to leave, Eli grasped onto her wrist. "It's okay, I don't need it."

"Eli…" Umi looked back at Eli, spotting the blonde's blank expression and emotionless. "What do you mean…?"

"I don't deserve anything from you." Eli muttered, looking down.

"Why are you thinking like this?" Umi said, her expression forlorn. "It's my duty as your friend to take care of you especially when you're in pain…"

"Am I really a friend to you?"

"Wha-What?" The blonde's question caught Umi off guard, making her look at Eli with disbelief.

"Am I really a friend to you?" Eli said, her voice low and quiet. "I've deceived you and the rest about my true identity. Now that you know, aren't you all afraid of me?

"A 17 year old, knowledgeable and able to injure and kill others!" Eli raised her voice, a mixture of pain and anger present. "Doesn't that make you think twice about being friends with me?!"

"E-Eli…" Umi cried out, worried about the blonde's sudden raised voice. "I don't think I could just easily let go of you as a friend…"

"Why?!" Eli shouted, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. "You've seen what I can do when Nozomi was taken! I didn't hesitate! I just put the men unconscious using techniques and weapons that someone as young as me shouldn't even use! You all know about everything right?! I'm not considered  _HUMAN!_  I'm nothing more than just a weapon!"

"ELI!" Umi shouted, taking Eli aback. "I'm sure me and the others can agree that we don't care about any of that!"

"How can you be so sure?!" Eli argued, tears falling freely from her eyes as she felt pain, anger, sadness and fear at the same time.  _Why would you still want to be friends with someone like me?!_

"Because you're our friend!" Umi looked straight into Eli's eyes as she said that, more tears fell from the blonde's eyes as her face expressed disbelief.

"We talked about it you know." The archer took Eli's hands into her own as she stepped forward, looking Eli right in the eye. "We don't care about what happened, or what you do or had done. All we care about is that you are our friend, a friend that has helped us, been with us through tough times, cared for us and most of all, accepted us for who we are."

Umi brought their foreheads together as she smiled through tears. "That's why it's our turn, let us help you, be with you, care for you and accept you, just like you did for us… We'll get through any obstacle as long as we're together, you won't ever be alone again. Because we're friends, right?"

Eli then suddenly felt warmth spread all throughout her front as arms wrapped themselves around her. Her eyes widened in the realization of Umi embracing her and she felt more tears fall from her eyes as she embraced Umi back, nuzzling her face in the crook of Umi's neck.

"P-Please… Don't leave me…"

-/-


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Despite your difference from the others, they still accept you without any conditions.

-/-

_Happiness, sadness, disgust, anger, pain. Those were some of the emotions I've had to suppress during my time at the military academy. Even at present, in EFO and at school, I required myself to hide my feelings from others, maybe because I'm used to it, or I'm afraid that no one would accept how I feel and hurt me because of it._

_I'm different, unlike μ's, I wasn't given the chance to grow up normally like them._

_Forced to hurt others, to disregard others' feelings, and to disregard my own. That's how I was brought up, by my father and the people in the military academy. But I still want to be as normal as them, Umi, Alisa, Nozomi, and the others, I want to be able to relate and be with them, to act as normal as them, as if I was never brought up to be an insensitive and stoic person._

_However, I'm still scared; afraid that they would leave me because I'm different._

_But I'm still clinging onto them, hoping that they would manage to open my heart and accept the emotions I've been hiding for years. Hoping that they would take care of me and be with me until the end._

-/-

_Twelve year old Eli hit the wall with a thud, a hand around her neck, choking and depriving her of needed air._

_She struggled, using her strength and techniques she learned and successfully slipping out of the hold and rolling to the side to avoid the attack of her opponent._

_She was being monitored, she knew that just from the moment when her instructor specifically called and singled her out stating that she will be having a match against a fifteen year old girl._

_They fought, kicks and punches being thrown and blocked rapidly, no mercy was given and there was no holding back. Their power and skills almost equaled but Eli knew that from the previous tackles the girl did, she was at a disadvantage._

_A sudden kick to her legs brought Eli down to the floor and the girl charged at her, her fist aiming for her face._

_Eli saw an opening and rolled to her side before getting up and landing a kick to the girl's face, throwing her to the floor. Eli acted fast and before the girl could get up, she straddled her, placing her hand to her neck as she made several blows to the girl's face, breaking her nose and allowing blood to be shed._

_The girl was struggling and Eli saw tears well up from the girl's eyes. She felt an ache in her chest but it was soon gone when she the instructor approached her a knife in his hand._

_"Go on, kill her."_

_Eli looked at the knife, then to her instructor before she took the knife in her hand and the instructor resumed his previous position._

_"N-No… P-Please, don't." The girl begged, looking straight into Eli's empty eyes._

_Eli remained stoic, no emotions present on her face as she gripped the knife and positioned it above the girl's neck._

_With one last look, she lowered the knife._

_Silence filled the room._

_The knife was millimeters away from the girl's neck where Eli stopped._

_Eli's instructor approached and snatched the knife away from Eli and told the two girls to stand up. The girl walked away with her instructor, a disappointed look on her face._

_The young blonde's eyes were wide and dilated as she was pushed by her instructor to what she recognized as the 'activity room.'_

_Having been brought to the room before, Eli kneeled in the middle of the room, her hands behind her back._

_She lowered her head as the first slash of the knife cut through her skin._

_"You will remember to show no mercy, be insensitive, because in this world, no one will care for you."_

-/-

Eli bolted up, her eyes wide and her body covered in cold sweat as she breathed heavily. She took a minute or two to convince herself that she's alright, that it was just a dream.

She ran her hand through her hair and stopped in the middle, taking some time to regain her normal breathing.

_=== Current time: 4:02:11 am_

-/-

Having only about two hours of sleep, Eli continued doing her usual routine for the rest of the day, gaining a little bit of energy from the medicines and food she took in.

She stepped out of her and Alisa's apartment just as a familiar girl was outside, about to ring the doorbell.

"Nozomi…?" Eli said, a surprised expression on her face.

"Elichi! Good morning!" Nozomi greeted, a wide smile on her face. "I came to pick you up."

"O-Oh…" Eli replied nervously as she nodded, clutching onto her bag strap to ease herself.

The two was then on their way, walking quietly amidst the lively area in Akihabara. "Hey, Elichi…" Nozomi called out while looking around the area.

"Y-Yes!" Eli replied hastily, startled by the sudden sound that broke the silence between them.

"Woah, easy there, Elichi, you don't need to be startled." Nozomi said with a chuckle. "I just wanted to ask about your work, if it's okay?"

Eli gulped, not expecting such a question. "Um, it's fine. Just some p-problems here and there."

"Oh, alright." Nozomi said, a hint of disappointment present in her voice. "Just tell me if you need any help alright? Umi-chan said that the workload of an agent is quite hefty."

"O-Okay… Thanks…" Eli stuttered. "How about you…? Are you alright even after what had happened?"

"Yup, I'm alright, thanks to you." Nozomi said, looking ahead with a smile on her face. "It'd be a lie if I say that I had overcome it though, since the event had been quite a shock for me. If it wasn't for you, who knows what would've happened to me or the others."

Eli turned away without replying, nodding once to affirm that she had heard what she said.

They both soon arrived at Otonokizaka where they were greeted by the rest of the μ's members.

"Nozomi-chan, Eli-chan!" Honoka exclaimed, running to the two who arrived and enveloped the both of them with a hug. Rin then came running as well and joined their hug.

The blonde stayed frozen in her spot, only waiting for the three of them to break the hug which they soon did after a few seconds later.

"Good morning, Eli." Umi greeted with a warm smile. The rest of the members greeting the blonde.

"What is this… all of a sudden…?" Eli muttered, soft enough for everyone to not hear before she looked down.

Umi noticed the slight change in Eli but she didn't have a chance to ask about it.

"Well then, let's go to class! See you later everyone!" Honoka exclaimed happily before the group were off to their respective classes.

-/-

Eli ran a hand through her hair as she felt a headache settling in. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply to relax herself.

"Eli."

The blonde flinched and backed away from the sound, her eyes widening slightly but she relaxed when she noticed that it was Nico who called out to her.

"No need to get surprised about my voice, Eli, or are you overwhelmed that the No. 1 Idol in the Universe is talking to you?" Nico smirked.

"N-No… I'm just surprised…sorry." Eli replied quietly.

"Come here you big baby." Nico pulled gently onto Eli's arms, knowing that the blonde's body must be aching from all the work she had done. "We're all having lunch at the club room."

-/-

"Good grief, what are we going to do with you?" Umi said, a concerned look on her face as she took off the lid to her bento box and turned it around. "Alright, everyone, pass some of your food here!"

The archer then placed about half of her omelette and she passed the makeshift plate around.

"W-Wait…! I-It's okay, I can manage without lunch… I've d-done it before anyway…" Eli frantically, waving her hands in front of her in a disagreeing manner.

"Nonsense, you may have done it before but I— I mean, we won't let you do it again. You've gotten thinner, you know." Umi commented. "Here you go."

Eli ended up with the lid of bento box full with various foods including a sandwich which had tomatoes, some beef and several other foods.

"T-Thank you…" Eli said shakily as she was handed with chopsticks from Nozomi who smiled at her.

"Now, let's eat!"

-/-

Classes continued as usual after lunch and they proceeded with after school club activities. Practice continued as normal but Eli couldn't help but notice that the others were making it easier for her but she didn't question it.

 _Umi's probably at archery practice huh…?_  Eli thought as she entered the Student Council Office which was empty.  _Honoka skipped council work and dragged Kotori with her again…_

The blonde chuckled as she set down her stuff and started doing Honoka's work.  _At least I'll be able to do something…_

-/-

"Alright, so based from the results of yesterday's and today's mini-competition," Chou, the archery instructor began. "It has been decided that Sonoda-san would be our representative for both the archery and the martial arts competition! Congratulations, Sonoda-san!"

The students clapped and cheered while a light blush settled on Umi's cheeks. "Thank you…"

"But Sensei, wouldn't it be too much for Sonoda-san to handle?" A student asked.

"I believe so… But I'm sure Sonoda-san could handle it, knowing that she's the heir to her father's dojo." Chou said, a smile on her face.

"Se-Sensei! Please don't s-say it out loud…" Umi covered her red face with her hands as some of her classmates giggled. "But, Chou-sensei…"

"Yes?"

"I apologize if this was late… but I do h-have someone in mind to be the representative for the martial arts competition…"

-/-

"ELI!"

Umi's loud voice resounded through the room and the blonde's face contorted into one of shock as she jolted, making the neatly stacked papers, topple over.

"U-Umi…?" The blonde's voice shook, clearly surprised from Umi's sudden visit. "Wh-What is it?" She asked the archer who was still dressed in her archery attire.

Umi approached and then gripped Eli's wrist before she panted out. "Come… Come with me."

-/-

"Ayase-san? The Ex-Student Council President?"

Whispers erupted in the room while the blonde and the archer stood awkwardly beside the instructor. Eli nudged on Umi's side, wary of the instructor who was thinking.

"Why did you bring me here…?"

"We needed a representative for the martial arts competition, I'm already the representative for the archery tournament and I figured you would be fit to become the representative for the other competition."

"Why me…" Eli muttered, looking away with a shadowy expression on her face before it turned into one of surprise when the instructor clapped and spoke.

"Alright, Ayase-san, Sonoda-san must have her reasons for choosing you to be our representative, will it be alright for you to spar with the top of the class?" Chou proposed.

_S-Spar?_

There was flash of red in her vision and unwanted images started bubbling up, causing her hands to tremble involuntarily.

"Eli…?"

Umi's hand tugged on Eli's wrist, bringing her back to reality where she stood frozen in place while the people present awaits her answer.

"A-Alright, sure. Who am I up against?"

"Sonoda-san, you're up."

-/-

 _Goodness gracious. Umi is the top of the class and I need to spar with her… In front of all those people as well…_ Eli thought with a sigh as she slipped on the upper robe of the gi that Umi lent her.

A knock came from the door of her changing room. "Are you almost done, Eli?" Umi's voice came.

"Yup, I'm done." Eli said, unlocking the door.

Umi looked at the blonde who stepped out of the changing room. Gulp. The hakama and gi that Eli wore fit her perfectly.  _She's beautiful… Wait what?_  Umi shook her head to clear her mind and tried to ignore the heat rising in her cheeks.

"Is everything okay, Umi?" Eli asked, confused with Umi's sudden action.

"Y-Yeah, sorry." Umi apologized, looking away. "Let's go to the dojo, everyone's waiting."

-/-

"I assume you are aware of the rules of sparring?" Chou asked in which Eli nodded. "Great, let's start."

Chou stood in between Umi and Eli. "To your stances."

Eli positioned herself and looked at Umi who nodded at her as she positioned herself as well. She breathed deeply to calm herself.  _Alright Eli, stay calm and don't go overboard, you're just trying to take her down: don't hurt her._

"On my count," Chou said, put her hand in between the two.

"3, 2, 1," Her hand raised. "Begin!"

Umi attacked first, quickly aiming a punch straight to Eli's head but her eyes didn't even catch how fast Eli dodged it and moved to the side. Eli grabbed Umi's attacking arm and twisted it before pulling it as she moved behind Umi and kicked off one of Umi's legs, successfully making the blue haired archer fall.

The blonde straddled the archer, placing the archer's arm in a vulnerable position wherein she would be able to easily dislocate her shoulder.

The archer struggled, finding a way to try to get herself out of her current position. She felt her arm being pushed towards her head and pain then started to be present in her shoulder.

Umi tapped on the floor to signal that she yields, a whistle was heard and the pain from her shoulder quickly disappeared, as well as the weight on her back.

"Umi!" A worried voice called out to her as she pushed herself up, immediately meeting the eyes of Eli.

"Uahhh! I-I'm so sorry! A-Are you alright? D-Did I break anything? Oh god, I'm so sorry!" Eli frantically said as she ran her hands around Umi, trying to examine her if she had caused any injuries.

"I'm alright, Eli, don't worry." Umi said, standing up and dusting off some dust on her hakama.

Chou looked surprised. The whole room fell into silence until Chou stuttered out, "C-Could the both of you spar once more?"

"But—"

"No buts, Sonoda-san. I-I have to make sure…"

Umi sighed before she looked at Eli who had a confused yet nervous expression on her face. Once more the two took their positions and sparred once more.

The spar was much longer than the first but it still ended faster than expected with Eli as the victor. She ended the fight swiftly and carefully, dealing no harm to the archer but only maneuvering her in a position where she won't be able to move.

"Did the Ex-Student Council President just bring Sonoda-san to the floor…?" One of the students observing stated, her eyes wide.

"Yes, quite." Chou said as she approached the two and gave a smile to the both of them. "Well it looks like your 5 streak win has been broken, Sonoda-san."

"It's seems so…" Umi sighed as she stood up, a hint of disappointment present in her expression but she was happy nonetheless. She then turned to Eli and smiled. "You would have to attend our trainings in preparation for the competition but for now, welcome to the team!"

"T-Thank you…" Eli said unsurely.

"Well then, we have our new representative!" Chou announced happily as she raised Eli's arm up. "Ayase Eli-san!"

-/-

"I can't believe that just happened." Eli commented as she sat at the bench of the girl's changing room.

"Congratulations! You should be proud, none of my classmates are able to take me down, and to do it twice; you're the first one." Umi stated as she put on her blazer.

"Well, it took a lot of time, blood, sweat and tears to execute such things." Eli said with an almost sad tone. "It was rigorous and brutal before."

Umi glanced at the blonde who had a far off look on her face as she tied her red ribbon around her neck, she sighed and kneeled in front of the blonde.

"Come on, what's with the long face?" Umi said, placing a hand onto the blonde's thigh. "You should be happy, come on, give me a smile."

Eli gave a weak smile in which Umi replied with a smile as well.

The archer stood up and grasped the blonde's wrist along. "Let's go?"

-/-

"Onee-chan, dinner's ready." Alisa announced as she stood by the door of the older blonde's room.

"Sorry, Alisa, I think I might have to eat later." Eli said, not bothering to lift her head up to reply as she continued scribbling and arranging the papers on her desk. "You could go eat already, I'll just heat up something later."

Alisa frowned before muttering a short 'okay' and leaving. Of course she knew that Eli's workload is hefty, but what the older blonde was doing wasn't healthy.

With a reluctant look, she wrapped Eli's meal with plastic and placed it in the refrigerator before she started eating her meal.

-/-

_=== Current time: 9:16:10 pm_

A sigh escaped Eli's lips as she set down her pen and ran her hands through her hair.

 _Takeo Takahashi…_ Eli thought, looking blankly at the picture in front of her.  _The person who sends orders to criminal groups keeps his name hidden but the initials are Y and S... Just who are you exactly?_

Eli sighed once more, leaning back to her chair and closing her eyes as she let go of the picture. She tried to think of people who might be related to the case but there was not much information to be used.

She felt a vibration from her earpiece and she pressed the button on it.

_=== Received Message: OHD_

_"View."_  Eli whispered, keeping her hand on the side of her head as she internally cursed, knowing that the head will probably order her to do mission.

_=== [Meeting at the agency, 10:30 pm sharp, don't be late. I, Hachiro and the other heads would like a word with you regarding the important mission we assigned you. You would also be undergoing a session of your Special Training but by using different means. That is all.]_

Eli buried her head in between her arms.  _At least it won't be a mission… But the Special Training…_

"Ha…"

Eli stood up and walked to her closet, bringing out one of her many agent uniforms. She proceeded to get ready for her departure later, plopping in some of her food supplement pills as well as some other medicine before informing Alisa—who protested worriedly—of her sudden leave.

_I can't do anything about it can I?_

She grabbed her jacket and phone before exiting the apartment.

_After all, I signed up for this, to continue what my father had done before, and to take advantage of the person he had molded me into._

-/-

(In between Episode 7)

"Ah…" Eli sighed, as she stretched her arms out, the hour lecture having just finished. She placed a hand on her head.  _It still hadn't left, huh?_

"What hadn't left?"

Eli turned to find Nozomi with a questioning look on her face. "Wha— When did you suddenly appear?"

"Huh? I've been here since our third year. Don't tell me you hadn't noticed that I'm your seat mate since the first day of classes…" Nozomi said with an innocent look.

"N-No, I mean when did you suddenly— Wait, you know what, never mind…" Eli said with a slightly frustrated tone, earning a muffled giggle from Nozomi who seemed to be restraining her laughter.

"Well then, what is it that hadn't left?" Nozomi asked after recovering from the previous moment.

"It's nothing." Eli replied simply, turning away from the older girl.

"Hmm…?" Nozomi hummed as she leaned towards the blonde before she held onto the blonde's wrist and not so gently, pulled her.

"N-Nozomi!" Eli exclaimed in surprise, a wave of dizziness splashed over her as she was yanked onto her feet, she used Nozomi to support her so she could avoid falling over.

"I thought so." Nozomi stated, a knowing look on her face but a hint of sadness present. "Come on, we'll have some lunch with the others. You haven't eaten anything today, have you?"

"Yo-You wouldn't know…" Eli said, looking away as she was lead away from the classroom by Nozomi.

"Stubborn, Elichi…"

-/-

"Are you alright, Eli? We could cut practice short today if you want." Umi said, glancing at the blonde who was currently training on one of the punching bags.

"No, it's okay. I'm fine." Eli replied, as she hit the punching bag once more.

"If you say so…" Umi said unsurely as she continued her archery training, glancing occasionally at the blonde.

They continued training for an hour with Eli alternating from sparring with Umi to practicing her punches on the punching bag. Not once was Umi able to win against Eli with their spar.  _That's the difference between Eli and I… She was really trained to fight…_ Umi thought as she was once again forced to tap out.

"Are you okay?" Eli asked, holding her hand out to help the archer stand. "Did I hurt you?"

"I'm alright, you didn't even land a punch on me yet you managed to bring me down." Umi chuckled as she stood up. "You'll need to land hits on your opponent during the competition though."

_"You need to land hits on your opponent. Punch, kick, break their bones, make them bleed. Do not yield until your opponent is beaten. No mercy."_

Eli froze as the sentence resonated through her, she then saw flashes of red in her vision. Her hands trembled as she tried to rid of the unwanted memories being played in her head, the strain causing the already present headache to intensify.

"So, do you want to spar once more?" Umi turned to face the blonde after fixing her uniform. Confusion set in her features as seeing the blonde's trembling hands and expression; her eyes were wide but blank and she seemed surprised yet nervous about something. "Eli?"

"Wha—" Eli jolted as she turned to face Umi but before she could talk to the archer, a feeling of nausea came over her, causing her to slap her hand to her mouth.

Without another word, Eli bolted to the washroom, her hand covering her mouth as a familiar feeling rose up her throat.

"Eli?!" Umi immediately came to the blonde's side, just as the blonde heaved violently, only little of what she had ate during lunch came out.

She rubbed circles on Eli's back in an attempt to comfort her. Eli shook, sweat dripped down from her temples as pain pierced through around her head.

The two stayed in the same position until Eli knew that she was finished.

"S-Sorry you had to see that…" Eli apologized, as she stood up with the support of Umi.

"It's okay, don't worry." Umi said with an encouraging tone as she led Eli to the sink where she helped the blonde wash her mouth so as to take off the acidic taste.

"Thank you…" Eli said with an apologetic tone.

"No problem. Let's go get you cleaned up so we could go home, okay?"

"Okay."

-/-

(After Episode 7)

The rest of the week proceeded as usual with idol practices as well as Eli and Umi's training for the competition. Umi managed to monitor Eli to make sure the blonde eats and takes her medicine to help lessen her migraines but still, Eli was able to escape Umi's monitoring.

Eli sighed as she lay in her dorm bed, her empty stomach growling due her skipping both lunch and dinner.  _Well, at least Umi would force me to eat tomorrow…_ She chuckled as she rolled to her side.

_=== Current time: 10:11:55 pm_

The blonde looked up to the ceiling, a distant expression on her face.  _I still have a mission later…_

"Hah… I wonder when I'll ever be free…" Eli wondered out loud as she closed her eyes, hoping to get some rest for just a few minutes but a particular person kept popping up in her head.

 _Umi…_ Eli said in her head. The archer had been quite a great help for her during and after school. She made sure that the blonde ate and had slept for at least six to five hours, knowing that the blonde would be unable to achieve eight because of her schedule.

Not only that but Eli noticed that the archer had been quite protective of her, as if she was the older sister. Thanks to Umi's monitoring and management, Eli acquired much more energy and sleep than she did before.

"She's amazing…" Eli mumbled, chuckling slightly.

A light blush settled on her cheeks as she closed her eyes once more, not noticing the odd and fast beating of her heart.

-/-

"I'm home." Ryuu announced while taking of his shoes.

"Welcome home dear!" His wife responded, approaching her husband and giving him a quick kiss to the cheek. "How was work?"

"As stressful as usual, Akemi. They sent Ayase to another mission, of course, I tried to stop them but apparently one of the higher-ups ordered it so I had no say in the mission." Ryuu said with a disappointed tone. "What they assigned to her was dangerous, not to mention they sent her this late!"

"Calm down, dear. I'm sure she'll be able to make it through." Akemi said, concern present in her voice. "You should tell Umi, she should know."

"I've heard already." Umi's voice interrupted the two, a worried yet firm expression on her face. "Did Eli manage to eat before she was sent to the mission?"

"I'm not quite sure, but knowing her, it's likely that she didn't." Ryuu said, walking into the living room with Akemi.

"Is that so…" Umi looked down and bit her lip. "She didn't eat lunch today either."

Ryuu looked at the younger girl before he said, "She's going to be fine, she skipped meals before already and it's not her first time to go to a mission."

"Hmn…" Umi hummed before she turned her heel. "I'll be in my room."

The older two just sighed as Umi left them alone.

Umi looked down as she closed the door to her room.  _I can't pinpoint it… But I just feel that something's about to go wrong…_  She sighed.  _Eli, please, stay safe._

-/-

One by one, men fell to the floor with a pained cry, darkness washed over them rendering them unconscious. On the side of the building were girls, young and old, some in shackles and ropes. They were all frozen in fear at the fight unfolding before them.

Eli rolled onto the floor, quickly standing up and swiping her leg to the man's legs, successfully putting him off balance.

She towered over the man and unsheathed her gun.

"W-Wait! I have a f-family! Please! Please don't kill—" The man pleaded but was cut off when a bullet hit the ground next to his face, making him gasp in surprise and fear.

"P-P-P-Please! I was f-forced into this! M-My family, my d-daughter, they need me!" The man still tried to plead, his whole body trembling as Eli continued to stare down at him, her gun pointed directly to his chest.

"Then?" Eli spoke, her voice cold and emotionless. "Why are you part a criminal group then? Especially one that focuses on taking young girls and women for your human trafficking and slave business. I wonder, how would your daughter react if she knew about this?"

The man froze, as if Eli had just hit something, but his expression quickly turned into a smirk, confusing Eli.

"I wonder, hahaha! How would you react, right, Chitose?!"

Eli's eyes widened and at the same time, a girl shouted out, "Miss! Watch out!"

A knife came down and Eli dodged it's attack but without acquiring a cut on her left arm. The attacks continued, it was fast and accurate, one small mistake in Eli's movement could cause a fatal stab. Eli continued to dodge, waiting for the hooded girl to fatigue so she could take her out.

The girl didn't last long, only two minutes in and she was already showing signs of weakness.

She aimed for the blonde's shoulder, leaning forward to plunge her knife in, however Eli used this chance to counterattack. She ducked and took a few steps forward so she was right in front of the girl, without hesitation, she grabbed the girl's shoulders and struck her right at her center with her knee.

The girl fell onto the floor, unconscious.

"W-Wha-What?! Chi-Chitose!" The man cried out, standing up and quickly running to the fallen girl. He shook her, trying to wake her up. "What the hell did you do?!" The man shouted at Eli, tears appearing at the edge of his eyes.

Eli could only look down at him, no emotion can be seen in her face.

"…I'll kill you…" The man said silently, his head was bowed before he shot his head up and looked at Eli straight in the eye. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

Quicker than what Eli had anticipated, the man charged at her with the knife that his daughter used.

Eli dodged left and right but her energy was running out; she doesn't have time to spare, she must knock the man out.

A couple more slashes from the man, Eli clenched her fists and aimed for the man's shoulder.

_Pressure._

Eli stopped. Everything around her went slow. She felt her heart beating from the pressure in her chest. It was alarmingly increasing at a fast pace; each time her heart beat, the pressure builds up, becoming painful.

_W-What is this… It… hurts…_

She was brought back to reality when the man cut through her right arm. Eli jumped backwards immediately but the pressure on her chest was still there, causing her to clutch onto her chest.

"FINALLY! HAHAHA!" The man laughed, his arm falling to the side where the knife dripped Eli's blood. "I finally was able to land a cut on you! HA! What are you going to do now? Both your arms are injured! Hahaha!"

Eli looked up and glared at the man.  _I need to knock him out and free the girls… Fast… Before I lose consciousness…_ The pressure in her chest once was becoming more and more painful and her vision was already blurring; she had to act fast.

The man approached Eli's bowed down form, a huge and wicked smile on his lips.

"This is for taking out my comrades!" He slashed at Eli's shoulder.

"This is for ruining my business!" He slashed onto Eli's other shoulder.

"And this, is for Chitose!"

Before the man could injure Eli once more, she kicked the man's side, directly to his liver as he raised his knife. The man fell onto the floor, the knife falling with a clang as he was knocked out immediately.

Eli clutched her shoulder as she approached the chained and tied up girls. However, the pressure in her chest caused immense pain and she cried out, falling onto her knees.

"Miss!" Some of the girls shouted in concern, approaching the blonde despite their legs shackled.

Eli forced herself up and unsheathed the knife in her jacket, alerting some of the girls and making them back away.

"C-Co…me… I-I need…to b-break…your c-chains…" Eli managed to rasp out; it was becoming much more harder to breathe. She gripped tightly onto the knife and forced herself up.

"M-Miss! Don't move… You're injured…" A young girl said as she approached, holding her arm out to support the blonde.

"Y-Your…chains…" Eli gestured to the chains on her ankles as she kneeled down. She brought her knife down, breaking the chains.

"Ahck!" Eli gasped, collapsing onto the floor.

"Miss!" The young girl together with the others exclaimed with worry.

 _It's all blurry…_ Eli thought. She couldn't make out the faces of the people because everything was splitting into threes and fours. Blood was still spewing from her wounds, staining her clothes. The pressure in her chest didn't help either, forcing her take shallow breaths because of the pain.

_=== Initiate Call: RSC._

It rang twice and fortunately, Ryuu picked up quickly.

"Ayase? What's wrong?"

Eli suppressed her pained cry with a groan before she answered with a weak voice,

"H-Help…me…"

That was all she could say before her vision turned black

_Umi..._

-/-

"What the hell happened?!" The operations head shouted, angered as he stormed into the aid department where Eli was being rushed in. Ryuu was there, an angry yet sad look on his face.

"Four gashes, one on each shoulder and arm. Breathing is short and irregular, heart beat is…" The medic announcing stopped, a confused look on her face. "Fast…"

"What do you mean?" Ryuu asked, confused as well.

"I-I'll have to investigate further, for now we have to treat her wounds." The medic dismissed Ryuu's question as she joined the other medics in treating Eli.

"What in the world…" Ryuu muttered, looking down.

"Explain what happened, Ryuu!" The operation's head said in anger, appearing before the captain with a confused and angered expression.

"Unfortunately, I have no knowledge of what happened. Ayase had called me in the middle of her mission and I came rushing to where she is. All the enemies had been defeated and the girls were freed, however, Ayase…" Ryuu hesitated but still continued to speak, "I am unaware as to what happened to her but it seems that she had passed out due to something rather than her wounds, a disease or something…"

-/-

"What…?" Umi's face fell, as her father's words started to sink in. "What do you mean?!"

"She was injured during her mission, that's all. She won't be able to attend today but she'll be back tomorrow." Ryuu stated simply. Even though their conversation was through the phone, he could sense Umi's anger.

"Tomorrow?! She'll be going to school with her injuries?! She hadn't fully recovered right!" Umi shouted.

"Calm down, Umi. She's used to it. Just make sure you will take care of her, she needs all the support she can get." Ryuu said, ending the conversation before Umi could say another word.

"That kind of thing… I already know what to do!" Umi exclaimed angrily, clenching her fists.  _Even though… I'm powerless to do anything about it!_ She cursed, tears lacing the edge of her eyes.

_"Hey, Eli."_

_"Y-Yes?"_

_"Are you alright? You seem to always be uneasy around me and the group during the week..." Umi asked worriedly as she and the blonde walked together._

_"Um... I think I still hadn't gotten it into my head that I'm one of you guys..." Eli admitted, looking down as she chuckled weakly. "I mean, I'm always covered with injuries and oddly knows how to fight, and of course my own awkwardness with and without the group..."_

_Umi chuckled slightly as the both of them stopped walking, Eli looking confused._

_"I told you already, right?" Umi said with a amused expression. "You, me and the others are no different from each other. Even if you know how to do those things, you're still Eli, our friend."_

_Umi took Eli's hand and interwined their fingers. "That's why you should stop saying and thinking that you're not one of us. Because, even if the world were to flip and break us apart, we will always remember you, our precious yet stubborn friend."_

_They both chuckled, some tears present at the edge of Eli's eyes._

_"Thank you, Umi, for everything." Eli said smiling as she pulled the archer into a hug._

"Eli..." Umi whispered, her voice cracking as tears flowed freely from her face. She could still remember how fast her heart beated and how Eli smiled widely and truly during that time.

It was a smile that Umi had never seen and it was a memory that she would truly cherish.

-/-

"Ah! Umi-san! I'm glad you came, Onee-chan's been lonely. She's in her room." Alisa said in haste but a happy expression was present on her face as she gestured to where Eli's room was.

"Thank you, Alisa…" Umi said, bowing slightly before she rushed into the older blonde's room.

"Eli? I'm coming in." The archer stated, earning a muffled 'okay' from behind the door.

Umi entered the room, greeted by a smiling blonde. Her arms were indeed, bandaged as well as what she could see of her shoulders. Various medicine bottles were at her side table along with several clean bandages.

"Thank you for visiting me, but you shouldn't have, really. I'll be going back to school tomorrow anyway." Eli stated as the archer sat down on the bed in front of her.

"I wanted to visit, to know how you've been doing. Besides, Alisa said you were lonely." Umi said, chuckling after seeing Eli's reaction who puffed her cheeks out. "Don't pout, I brought you some chocolates."

Almost immediately, Eli's face lit up as the archer handed her the chocolates.

"Be sure to share with your sister, okay?" Umi reminded but Eli just pouted once more, earning another chuckle from her.

-/-

"Oh? Is that so…?" Eli said, a hint of sadness present in her voice as she looked down. For a good half an hour, Umi talked about what was happening at school as well as the training she was doing in archery but Eli had something bothering her all throughout the time Umi was talking,

"Is there something wrong?" Umi asked, concern present in her voice.

Eli shook her head, "No, nothing… It's just that…" Her voice was small and barely heard, but Umi managed to catch her words.

"What is it?" Umi said, moving closer to the blonde who's head was still bowed.

"I… It's just…" Eli tried to speak, but she couldn't find the right words to say.

"It's okay, take your time, Eli." Umi said patiently. She could understand why Eli was having a hard time expressing herself; at a young age, Umi could only imagine how much pain and emotions that Eli had to suppress and hide from others.

"Why… Why are you being nice to me… Why are the others being nice to me… I've always been told that no one would ever care about me, because the world is cruel…" Eli voice out, looking down sadly.

"Why would we not care about you?" Umi asked, she placed her hand onto the blonde's and gave it an encouraging squeeze.

"T-The military academy… I wasn't allowed to show any emotion, if I do, I'll be punished for it… I always had to do my superiors' orders, regardless of my feelings towards it…"

"Eli…"

"They told me that it was training for when I'll be released to the outside world, because no one would care about your feelings…"

"Eli."

"Even now, in EFO… Sometimes there would be my superiors would abuse me and hit me for no reason and I just feel so—mhph…!"

She stopped talking, interrupted by the soft and moist lips on hers. Eli's eyes widened and she froze on the spot, her cheeks heating up. It didn't take long before Umi pulled back, a blush present on her face as well.

"I-I'm sorry… It was the only way I thought of to stop you from talking…" Umi said shyly, looking down. "It's was rude of me… I'm sorry…"

"N-No… It's okay…" Eli muttered, looking away as well.

A few silent seconds passed, both unsure of what to say.

"I'm very sorry… I took your first k-kiss…" Umi said, bowing in front of Eli. "It was my f-f-first k-k-kiss too…" She muttered silently.

Umi then felt a tug on her sleeve. She looked up to see Eli's teary yet joyful eyes.

"O-One more…" Eli mumbled, the blush on her cheeks only growing redder.

Umi's eyes widened, the heat on her cheeks growing as red as Eli's. She nodded, a strange feeling of happiness present within her and she hugged the blonde, tears falling from her eyes even though she couldn't understand whether it was from happiness or something else.

Eli was also crying as she hugged the archer tightly, burying her head into the archer's neck.

"I love you."

-/-

"It seems that Ayase is a friend of Ryuu's youngest daughter, Sonoda Umi, along with her seven other friends and younger sister who lives with her. Ayase's father is alive in Russia, as well as her grandmother but is currently is a critical state in a hospital." A man dressed in a white lab coat, reported to the man seated in front of him. "We are currently locating the whereabouts of Ayase's mother."

A wicked smile formed on the man's lips. "No need. It seems that we have more than enough hostages." The man hummed in reply.

The man stood up from his chair and walked around the room. "Is the chip with the girl?"

"Yes, she has it with her at all times. I've made sure of it." The other man responded.

"It seems that we would have a fun time this year. Just imagining what would happen already brings me so much joy… The girl and her friend will suffer all because of Ryuu. I could already hear her screams." The man paused, his smile growing wider and the sadistic thoughts in his eyes gleamed. "We'll plan our every move, making sure that there will be no problem, right, Hachiro?"

"It is as you have said, Takeo."

-/-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woahhh, so the last 3 chapters have been posted! Thank you for reading and leave comments if you'd like! I'd love to know about your opinions. Also, if there are any grammar, spelling or other concerns, don't hesitate to pm or comment! Thank you very much and hope you stay tuned for the next chapter!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

 

You’ll never know how much of an impact you’ve made to a person, even with just the tiniest action.

 

\---///---

 

_So much has happened since my friends discovered my occupation as an agent. Aside from the things happening in the agency, my friends continued to keep a close eye on me. Making sure I’m healthy, eating right and keeping hydrated, as well as making sure that I don’t overwork often._

_Of course, I, being sly and all, sometimes escape their monitoring, for which I am very sorry._

_With this attitude, it does not do well with a certain member of μ's, and, yes, you guessed it, it’s Umi._

_But even with my naughty behavior, she still cares for me. This baffled me for some time, thinking such things like: ‘Why is she still putting up with me? Isn’t it that I’m much of a burden already?’ Those words keep repeating inside my head like a broken radio, discouraging me and making me think more negative things about myself._

_And then I remembered her words. She wasn’t taking care of me because she’s forced to. She—they’re taking care of me because they want to._

_Even if I’m a burden, a nuisance and a pain, they chose to care, to cherish, and to love._

_They helped me physically, mentally, and emotionally, and before I knew it, I was changing. Because of Umi and the others, they made me grow and mature, made me who I am today, made me look forward to another day seeing them._

_Because of her actions, her words and everything, I fell for her._

_Sonoda Umi, I can never thank you enough. Because you’ve taken care of me, I would do the same and protect you, even at the cost of my life. Words cannot express how grateful and lucky I am to have you._

\---///---

 

(After Episode 8)

 

Eli sipped a bit of her cup of tea, enjoying the warmth that spread all throughout her.

 

“Are you alright, Eli?” The girl seated next to her asked, a cup of tea in her hands as well. 

 

“Mhn… Thanks for accompanying me here, Umi.” Eli replied with a smile, leaning onto the archer after they both placed their cups onto the table.

 

“Anything for you.” Umi said, a light blush settled on her cheeks as Eli rest her head onto her shoulder and wrapped her arms around her. The blonde closed her eyes as Umi pat her head gently.

 

Ever since their kiss, the two had continued to stay with each other. Although they both still hadn't declared that they were girlfriends—or they were too embarrassed to declare it—they settled with knowing that they are ‘more than friends’.

 

“You’re…okay with me right?” Eli asked hesitantly, both her eyes peeked open as her hand grasped onto the archer’s. She was still nervous around the archer despite her reassurances.

 

Umi gave Eli a knowing smile before she pressed her lips onto the top of the blonde’s head, ignoring the growing blush on her cheeks. She gently placed a blanket over the both of them and whispered,

 

“I love you…”

 

“I love you too…”

 

\---///---

 

“Huh? Eli-chan! Why do you always forget to pack lunch?” Honoka asked; a concerned expression on her face. “You make Alisa-chan lunch every day, why don't you make some for yourself?”

 

“I-It became a habit; I usually didn't eat lunch before…” Eli explained, a nervous expression on her face, knowing that two particular people would probably be reprimanding her soon.

 

“Ehhh? That's not healthy, Eli-chan… You should eat.” Hanayo joined in the conversation, sitting down next to Rin who was munching on a sandwich.

 

“Dawths rihghut, Heri-chawn!” Rin said enthusiastically.

 

“It's best if you don't talk while you're eating, Rin-chan…” Kotori reminded with a sigh.

 

It took only about four minutes before the rest of the group arrived and settled in. Eli avoided both Umi’s and Nozomi’s gaze, knowing that she’ll be scolded again for not bringing her lunch and instead, brought her homework due next week.

 

“Eli…” Umi’s low voice called out to the blonde who jolted as a shiver ran down her spine.

 

“Y-Yes, U-Umi-san…” Eli said, smiling at the archer nervously.

 

“This is bad, Umi-chan’s gonna blow.” Honoka murmured, she hid behind Kotori with Rin.

 

“We need to take cover, nya!” Rin exclaimed, clutching onto Kotori’s uniform as she ducked, covering her head the same way they would do if an earthquake was happening.

 

Umi sighed, seeing Eli’s expression filled with nervousness as well as a hint of fear. The archer rummaged her bag and brought out a sky blue bento box, she placed it in front of the blonde who had a confused expression on her face.

 

“I asked my mother to prepare extra lunch for you since you always forget to bring yours.” Umi said as she sat down next to the blonde and brought out her own navy blue bento. “She agreed and even offered to make you lunch every day.”

 

Eli’s mouth hung open in shock as she quietly opened the bento.

 

“Eli?” Umi called out to the blonde who seemed to have frozen right on the spot. She leaned in to look at the blonde.

 

Tears. That was the first thing Umi had noticed; Eli was crying.

 

“Eli…” Umi whispered, she rubbed the blonde's back to comfort her. She doesn't need to ask why and she's sure that the others are well aware of the reason.

 

The blonde hastily tried to wipe her tears away but it didn't stop. She didn't understand, just seeing a wholesome bento made just for her brought a sudden wave of emotions, emotions she had felt when she was young, when she was with her grandmother and younger sister.

 

“I’m s-sorry… I-It's just… I-I haven't had one of these in such a l-long time… I o-only remember… W-What my grandmother made for me before…” Eli said, in between sobs. “A-And this… Looks s-so much like it…”   

 

The group looked surprised but was soon replaced with a warm smile.

 

Umi pulled the crying blonde into a hug before she said, “It's okay, Eli. You're with us now.”

 

\---///---

 

_“To the agents currently ranked 1st to 5th, remain at your dormitories; your ranking examination will commence later, 8 am. To the rest of the agents, proceed to the training facility. The ranking examination for you all commence in 5 minutes. I repeat…”_

 

The announcement was heard all throughout the building and immediately, the agents proceeded to the training facility.

 

Eli peeked outside through her dorm’s window, spotting several agents hurrying to leave.

_=== Current time: 5:54:49 am_

She lay down on her bed as she rolled to her side. _My test will be done later; I’ve still got plenty of time. But after that, I still have my special training to attend to._

 

Eli sighed to herself before she sat up. _I won’t be at all productive today if I just lay down…_ She went to her desk and started doing some paperwork and her homework.

 

\---///---

 

“I’m home, mother. I brought the groceries you asked for.” Umi announced as she entered her family’s household.

 

“Thank you, Umi. You can go rest in your room; we’ll practice for the dance exhibit later tonight.” Akemi said, smiling at the archer as she walked into the living room and handed over the goods.

 

At the same time, Ryuu appeared, preparing to go to work. “Ah, Umi. Good morning.”

 

“Good morning, father.” Umi replied, bowing slightly. “Are you off to work?”

 

“Yes. The ranking examination for the upper ranks will commence by the time I arrive, I’ll have to keep an eye on Ayase since she has training right after.” Ryuu muttered; his voice low as he fixed his tie and suit.

 

“Oh…” Umi muttered quietly as she looked down.

 

Akemi and Ryuu started talking but Umi didn't register any of their words. _Should I…? It wouldn't hurt to try… Right?_

 

“Um…!” Umi blurted out awkwardly, interrupting her parents’ conversation. A few seconds of silence passed before she said in a hesitant voice, “Father, I don't mean to be rude but, is it… Is it alright for me to join you…? Going to the agency…”

 

 Ryuu looked at Umi, a questioning look on his face.

 

“I just… I’m not sure… I just want to see how it's like…” Umi mumbled nervously and hesitantly. She continued to look down onto the floor, hoping that her father would at least consider.

 

“Umi—“

 

“Why not?” Akemi’s voice came all of a sudden, cutting what Ryuu was about to say and surprising Umi with her sudden words.

 

Ryuu turned towards his wife, a concerned expression on his face. “Akemi, you know very well that taking Umi there would cause several of Ayase’s superiors to become angry with her because of the past incident. It's not safe for her to be there.”

 

“Still, why not? With that in mind, I know you wouldn't let any harm come to your daughter and I’m sure Ayase-san would not allow that too.” Akemi replied, smiling at her daughter who had a grateful expression on her face.

 

“But—“

 

“It's okay dear.” Akemi said, giving a gentle smile to her husband. “She has to know; she's part of this now.”

 

Ryuu fell silent as he grit his teeth. He knew what those words meant but he still wasn't ready to show his daughter what EFO actually is. He released a pained sigh as he ran his hand through his hair before he said, “Fine, prepare yourself.”

 

Umi’s face lit up and she smiled. “Thank you very much! Father, mother!”

 

\---///---

 

The way to the agency was fairly quick. Ryuu just had to brief Umi with the rules of the agency and told her what would be happening during the day, but there was a sentence that bothered Umi the most.

 

“Don't interfere with anything, even if it becomes painful to watch.”

 

Umi pondered on that sentence for quite a while, she was only brought out of her thoughts when they arrived at the agency.

 

“Huh?” Umi looked at the building, recognizing it to be the insurance company which was not well known.

 

“Looks can be deceiving.” Ryuu stated simply as he brought out his ID. He showed it to the guard who nodded in approval; he then leaned forward and whispered some things.

 

Umi had a confused and nervous expression on her face as the guard approached.

 

“Your hand.” The guard said and hesitantly, Umi lifted her arm. The guard slipped on fingerless gloves onto her hand and placed an earpiece in her ear. He then pressed the button situated on it.

 

A sudden wave of dizziness washed over Umi, making her step back a bit to regain her balance, luckily, the dizziness was short lived as it was gone within a few seconds.

 

The guard nodded once more and gestured to Ryuu who thanked him in reply. They entered the building, greeted by a receptionist who recognized Ryuu immediately, nodded towards him.

 

“The security is quite strict here; you’ll need to pass through quite a few procedures before getting in, even if you're an outsider.” Ryuu stated as they both entered the elevator. He typed in a code on the screen situated on the right wall of the elevator.

 

When they arrived at the designated floor, they were greeted by stares, mostly directed to Umi. However, Ryuu payed them no heed and proceeded walking while Umi just bowed her head and followed.

 

“Keep quiet here; don't talk to anyone except the people you know.” Ryuu said as they both entered a spacious room, they walked to the side and Ryuu gestured Umi to stay put.

 

“Oh, if it isn't Ryuu.” Someone spoke.

 

Umi looked up, her eyes landed on a man approaching her and Ryuu, a white lab coat was draped over his shoulders and he looked unfriendly and reserved, however a sinking feeling settled in Umi’s stomach, signaling her that there was something off with him.

 

“Hachiro.” Ryuu greeted coldly, stepping in front of Umi protectively. “Well? Shouldn't you be readying yourself? The ranking examination for the superior ranks will commence soon.”

 

“I have, just waiting for them to come.” Hachiro turned to Umi. “I’m sure Ayase would be surprised to find you here.”

 

Umi tensed, she glanced to her father who just nodded curtly. “L-Likewise.” Umi replied, bowing her head slightly.

 

“Very respectful.” Hachiro commented, smiling at the archer. “I am knowledgeable that both you and Ayase are quite diligent and successful, both in academics and extracurricular activities, keep up the good work.”

 

“Thank you very much, sir.” Umi said softly.

 

“My, my, Ryuu. Now I understand how you act, both Ayase and your daughter are quite alike.” Hachiro said, grinning slightly at Ryuu’s reaction who looked away, gritting his teeth.

 

Umi was confused due to Ryuu’s reaction towards what Hachiro said, however she didn't ponder too much on it.

 

“Say,” Hachiro turned to Umi once more. “Do you wish to be one of EFO’s agents?”

 

Umi opened her mouth to reply but a cold yet familiar voice spoke out of the blue.

 

“I apologize for intruding into this conversation, however the ranking examination will commence very soon, and I suggest we start the preparations. As for the answer to your question, no, she does not wish to become an agent and even if she does, I will not allow it.”

 

They turned to the person who spoke, their eyes widening slightly.

 

“E-Eli?” Umi muttered in which Eli glanced at her and nodded in response. The blonde was in her agent uniform, one that was familiar for her to see but she was still not used to seeing Eli wear it.

 

“Ayase. I thought you knew well enough not to intrude into anyone’s conversation.” Hachiro said, his voice sounding dangerous. “And to think that you answered a question not addressed to you.”

 

“I am aware; however the actions I have made has been done. And for that, I apologize, if you wish, I will accept any punishment you wish to give me.” Eli said in reply, bowing down.

 

Umi stared at Eli in shock; _did she just offer herself up for punishment?_ Umi opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Eli’s voice scared her, it was so different from when they were together; it was just emotionless, as if she transformed into a different person.

 

“Well then, it seems that you still know your place.” Hachiro said as he knocked Eli’s head with his knuckle, alerting Umi and making her flinch. He leaned in and whispered something into Eli’s ear.

 

Umi didn't hear what Hachiro said nor did she try to, but what he said made Eli’s eyes widen and her hands tremble slightly. She looked into Eli’s eyes and found a tinge of fear in them.

 

“A-As you wish s-sir.” Eli stuttered out and she hung her head.

 

Hachiro’s expression remained emotionless as he turned to Umi. “I’ll see you around.” He walked away, a grin on his face.

 

Ryuu glared at Hachiro for a second before he turned to Eli and held her by the arms. “What did he say?”

 

“I-Ichiro-heichou…” Eli said softly, her hands still trembling but she tried her best to stop it. _Not again…_ She thought miserably but there was an unsettling feeling in her gut ever since she started to talk to Hachiro.

 

“Tch, that—“

 

“ _The ranking examinations for ranks 1 to 5 will now commence. Agents, proceed to your designated places. I repeat…”_

The announcement interrupted their conversation.

 

“I need to go. Thank you, Sonoda-heichou.” Eli said as she bowed. She then looked up and smiled weakly at Umi. “I’ll see you later, Umi.”

 

The blonde then walked away hastily and joined the other people in the room whom Umi concluded to be the other agents. Umi sighed before she muttered quietly to herself,

 

“Eli…”

 

\---///---

 

The ranking examination lasted for about four hours. The program that took the most time was the imitation missions but Umi was surprised and somehow proud as she watched; in the end, Eli had the least time out of all the other ranks.

 

_“The ranking examination is now finished, to all agents, you are now dismissed, you may head home, however there is an exception of the current Rank 1, Ayase Eli, please stay in the training facility.”_

Umi’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. _Will Eli have to attend to training or a meeting?_ She thought, sighing as she walked around, hoping to find Eli before she would have to do attend to something again.

 

Before she could even move from her spot, however, Ryuu held her by the wrist and gestured her to follow him. Umi frowned slightly but nodded soon after.

 

\---///---

 

They entered a small room, big enough to fit at least three to six people. There was a bench in the middle, allowing a great view for observation through a window overlooking the training facility.

 

Ryuu and Umi sat down onto the bench, a confused look still present on Umi’s face.

 

“This is a two-way mirror. I didn't want you to stand outside, and you might run off to do something.” Ryuu said; a wary expression on his face.

 

“Why?” Umi asked quietly. She looked through the mirror, spotting Eli who was talking to a few men dressed in lab coats.

 

“You’ll understand soon.” Ryuu replied simply.

 

\---///---

 

A metal table supported by four poles emerged from the floor of the room, one where Eli had laid on on several occasions. The emotionless look on Eli’s face remained as she approached the table, spotting the familiar metal restraints that bound her on the table before.

 

“Ayase. If you will.” Hachiro’s emotionless voice called out in which Eli climbed onto the table swiftly and laid down. Several other men—which Eli figured were facilitating the training—approached and proceeded to place the restraints around Eli’s wrists, neck, waist, thighs and ankles.

 

Once they were secure, Eli nodded towards Hachiro who nodded back in acknowledgment. He then gestured to the men and they proceeded to place small detectors on Eli’s temples, palms, and soles of her feet, they then tapped on Eli’s earpiece, checking on the chip they had inserted before. The men then stepped back once they were done. The table’s two poles nearest the blonde's head then elevated much more, allowing Eli to face Hachiro and the men with him.

 

“Commencing Special Training Number 3, Phase 1.” Hachiro said out loud as he raised three of his fingers. “3, 2, 1!”

 

\---///---

 

Even from Umi’s view, she could see Eli’s hands curl into fists and her whole body tense.

 

“Wh-What's happening?” Umi asked quietly as she continued to observe Eli’s movements.

 

“This is special training.” Ryuu said, his voice hesitant yet emotionless. “The chip inserted in her earpiece is turned on, delivering pain to her head to mimic the effects of a special chip that she would be using for her mission.”

 

“Huh?” Umi’ s mouth hung open. _Pain? Why…_

_“Pain level increased, continuing for two minutes.”_

Hachiro’s voice rang out clear. Eli weakly nodded in response, she clenched her fists and grit her teeth, the pain becoming worse.

 

“Why?” Umi asked her father, her eyes wide while tears laced the edge of her eyes. “Father…?”

 

Ryuu grit his teeth before answering silently, “I have no say regarding this training, the higher ups ordered it and its final. Even Ayase, she's only following orders. They say that this will help her be accustomed to the pain brought by the special chip.”

 

Umi stood up and approached the glass in front of her; she raised her shaking hands, touching the place where Eli was seen through.

 

Ryuu could only stare at his daughter with a sad look on his face. This is why he didn't want to bring Umi to the agency, but he has a feeling that she should know, about everything, even his wife did too.

 

\---///---

 

The 'training' continued on for about ten more minutes. The pain level increasing and decreasing at various times, causing Eli to cry out suddenly but she forced herself to suppress her cries by biting on her lip—too much that it drew out blood.

 

When the pain finally left, Eli slumped, her head hung; if it weren't for the metal around her neck, her whole upper body would've slumped down completely. Without a word or a warning, the table then resumed its original position as she tried to steady her heavy breathing, her exhaustion taking over.

 

The men from before approached and removed the restraints and detectors before pressing a button on Eli's earpiece.

 

"Preparing for Special Training 3, Phase 2."

 

Eli slowly sat up, the ache in her head still present. She stood up, wavering a bit in her footing and making her grip onto the table for temporary support. The lingering pain in her head causing her dizziness.

 

A dummy model then appeared before her, a target symbol printed on the center.

 

Eli wiped her chin, taking away the blood that had dripped before plastering an emotionless expression on her face. She positioned herself in front of the model, mentally preparing herself for what she was about to do.

 

\---///---

 

Umi grit her teeth for the umpteenth time. For the whole time Eli was ‘training’, she settled uncomfortably in her seat with her father observing her closely. She would tense up or flinch occasionally, especially the time when Eli gasped out all of a sudden or when blood drew out from her lip; it was as if both of them were being hurt. But it was true, even if she couldn't feel Eli’s physical pain; she was being hurt mentally and emotionally.

 

_“Commencing Special Training Number 3, Phase 2.”_ Hachiro announced, the same emotionless expression on his face. He gestured to Eli who nodded weakly in response.

 

Umi continued watching Eli, unconsciously keeping herself literally on the edge of her seat. She kept assuring herself that Eli would be fine, that she's okay.

 

\---///---

 

Eli closed her eyes and breathed in deeply.

_=== Special Chip Activation: 30 % Power_

_"_ _User: ES-02AE. Permission: Granted. Commencing Power Charge.”_ Eli dictated; her voice loud yet void of any emotion as the people present waited quietly.

 

_=== Power Charged: 3.6%_

An electrifying feeling spread all throughout her body, raising her body temperature higher than before. She raised her right arm, her palm directed to the target in front of her as her left hand supported her right by grasping onto her right forearm.

 

_=== Power Charged: 11.2%_

 

Sparks of electricity emitted from around Eli’s arms as a very small ball of electricity settled in the middle of her palm.

 

_=== Power Charged: 18.7%_

 

“Agh…!” Eli gasped out, the pain intensifying. It was much more painful, and to think that she was only activating not even half of the chip’s power; what more if she was to use more than what she was using now?

 

“Concentrate Ayase!” Hachiro’s commanding voice rang out clear, leaving no arguments.

 

_=== Power Charged: 23.5%_

 

The ball of electricity slowly increased in size but it wasn't even as big as a ping pong ball. Strands of electricity snaked around Eli’s arm, connecting to the ball.

 

Eli swallowed back another pained gasp. The burning pain had spread, not only to her head but mostly to her arm and chest.

 

_=== Power Charged: 30.0%_

_“Power Ch-Charged. Co-Commencing Usage.”_ Eli managed to say out loud.

 

The ball of electricity flashed before it spread, strands of electricity hitting and electrifying the target in front of her until the ball grew smaller and smaller before vanishing into nothingness.

 

“Special Training 3, complete.” Hachiro announced with the same cold voice. “All people present are dismissed.”

 

Eli wavered in her footing, her vision blurring. There was a pulsing pain in her head as she felt a warm liquid trail down from her right ear where her earpiece was. She managed to stay in place before she said weakly, “U-Understood, s-sir—“

 

Her knees buckled. Her vision blackened.

 

“Eli!”

 

The blonde looked up, feeling warmth all throughout her front. Her vision was still blurry and it was blackening every few seconds but she could still make out the familiar figure of the archer.

 

“Umi what the hell do you think you’re doing?!” Ryuu’s startled and angered voice came all of a sudden. “Get back here!”

 

Eli slumped onto Umi, falling unconscious completely. Umi, completely ignoring her father’s words, felt something warm touch her arm, she looked down, gasping at the blood that was flowing from Eli’s ear; it was much more than before.

 

Three medics approached, two of them carrying a stretcher. They pulled Eli away from Umi who reluctantly let go, immediately they bolted away from the training facility, off to the aid department.

 

Umi stood in place, a worried expression on her face before she was suddenly turned around.

 

“What the hell was that?! Didn’t I tell you not to interfere with anything?!”

 

Umi calmly faced her father and said, “I didn’t interfere with anything, father. The training was finished. The man from before dismissed Eli therefore all training, procedures and processes have been completed.”

 

She looked up, her eyes looking straight into her father’s, “In addition, even if I would be interfering with something or breaking rules or receiving a punishment, I would still be there for Eli, just like she did for us. She deserves plenty of love and care after all the things she’s going through and I’ll gladly be the one to give her that.”

 

Ryuu’s mouth opened in shock as Umi continued to stare at him with her hardened and determined expression.

 

“Sonoda-heichou,” A voice interrupted the both of them. They both looked at the person, identifying them to be one of the medics. “Agent Ayase has been treated; she’s being transferred to her dorm at the moment.”

 

“I-I… Y-Yes, alright. Thank you, we’ll head there now.” Ryuu said, bowing slightly before he turned to Umi, his eyes glued onto the floor. “F-Follow me.”

 

\---///---

 

“Ayase, we’re coming in.” Ryuu said; knocking on the door of Eli’s dormitory.

 

They entered the room, seeing Eli on seated at the side of her bed, her eyes half closed and the side of her head was cleaned and free of any blood.

 

“Eli…” Umi said; a hint of relief present in her voice. She approached the blonde giving her a momentary hug before she backed away, checking Eli around for any injuries. She was about to reach for her shoulder when Eli grasped her hand and smiled weakly to her.

 

“I’m fine, Umi.” Eli said, lowering the archer’s hand. Umi nodded, feeling a little disappointed that she had to stop.

 

“Ayase, does it hurt anywhere?” Ryuu asked, concerned.

 

Eli shook her head and turned to face her captain. “They gave me pain medicine. The pain’s been numb ever since I woke up.”

 

“Oh,” Ryuu said before he placed a hand on top of Eli’s head. “I’ll be going out to have a short talk with Hachiro and the other heads. You two can stay here for awhile, when you’re able to go, just head to my office so that I could lead you outside.”

 

“You’re staying, father?” Umi asked.

 

“Yes, I still have quite a lot of work to do and another meeting to attend to.” Ryuu said in reply while retracting her hand from Eli’s head. “Ayase’s free to go, though. You can both go spend some time somewhere if you want.”

 

“Thank you, Heichou.” Eli said, smiling weakly.

 

Ryuu then gestured to Umi, as if he was saying: ‘take care of her.’ Umi nodded in reply before the older Sonoda left the room.

 

Immediately after hearing the door close, Umi felt Eli slump onto her.

 

“Eli...?” Umi asked unsurely as she moved closer to the blonde and snaked her arms around her.

 

“Help me forget...” Eli whispered, her voice sounding tired and weak.

 

With a sigh, Umi placed her hands on the side of Eli’s head and gently tilted her head up to face her. Eli’s tired cerulean eyes met her amber orbs, there was a noticeable blush on present on Eli’s cheeks and she was biting her lip as well.

 

_Oh. That’s what she wants..._ Umi thought, a blush growing on her cheeks as well.

 

She placed her hand on Eli’s chin, her finger just brushing below the blonde’s lip. Umi gave another sigh as she spotted the cut on Eli’s lip.

 

She leaned forward, stopping herself just before their lips meet. She looked at Eli for confirmation but the blonde’s eyes were just staring at her lips. That was enough for Umi to confirm before she pressed their lips together.

 

The archer placed her arms around the blonde, pulling her closer as the blonde did the same. It only lasted for about a few seconds before they backed away, a very deep blush present on both their cheeks.

“I love you, Eli...”

 

“I love you too, U—“

 

The archer dove in for another kiss, this time she slipped her tongue in. Umi heard the blonde intake a sharp breath as she kissed back. The intensity of the kiss making the blonde fall on her back, bringing the archer with her.

 

Umi could hear nothing but only the sighs—moans that Eli releases, making her crave more of the blonde. _She tastes sweet...Chocolate...?_ Umi thought as Eli’s hand reached for the back of her head, her fingers sliding through her soft blue hair.

 

They gasped when they pulled back, their breathing heavy and both had deep blushes on their faces.

 

Their foreheads touched as Umi pulled Eli up, back to their original position. There was a second of silence before Eli reached up to touch Umi’s gloved hand.

 

“You’re wearing it...” Eli said as she looked up, spotting the familiar earpiece in Umi’s ear. “Even the earpiece too...”

 

“It was from the guard outside...” Umi replied.

 

“It’s like you’re an agent too.” Eli chuckled slightly, a bit of sadness present in her voice.

 

“Just like you?”

 

“But I don’t want you to be an agent...” Eli said, pulling the archer to an embrace. She placed her chin on the archer’s shoulder and sighed.

 

Umi rubbed the back of Eli’s head in which the blonde hummed in response.

 

“Do you want to go out?” Umi asked.

 

Eli shook her head before she said weakly, “I want to go home...with you. I just want to forget about everything and cuddle you till we fall asleep.”

 

“Okay, then that’s what we’ll do.” Umi said, smiling as she pulled the blonde to her feet.

 

“I love you, Umi.” Eli said as she gave the archer a short peck on the cheek. “I didn’t get to say it earlier...” The blush that had once subsided awhile ago came back once again.

 

“I’ll start preparing so we could go.”

 

“Okay...”

 

\---///---

 

Both Eli and Umi were accompanied going out of the agency by Ryuu, most people around them giving stares to the archer as they silently walked out. The guard outside took off the glove and earpiece that was with Umi and Ryuu gave the two a few reminders before they headed to Eli’s home. The walk wasn’t too long but both remained silent on the way there.

 

They were about to turn to the next street but Umi felt Eli tug on her sleeve.

 

“Can we stop by a combini...? I don’t think I have the energy to make dinner...” Eli said, chuckling nervously. “But if you really want to taste my cooking again I can make an exception...”

 

“Its okay, Eli.” Umi said in reply, smiling encouragingly before an idea popped in her head. “How about I let you taste my cooking?”

 

“You can cook?!” Eli gasped, a hand going over her mouth playfully.

 

“Mou, Eli! I’m not useless you know!” Umi argued, pouting.

 

“Sorry, sorry.” Eli said while she tried to stop her laughter. “But I don’t want you to get tired, and it’s probably been a long day for the both of us.” She continued; her tone apologetic.

 

“I see, it’s alright with me.” Umi replied as she gave a small smile.

 

They then headed to a nearby convenience store which they spent more time than expected since Umi had to scold Eli once again for just choosing a small pack of onigiri, who argued that that was her dinner when she had the time.

 

In the end, Umi had chosen a packed bento for both her and Eli, and of course, the blonde did not protest, however, she grabbed a bar of chocolate before they left.

 

“You’re going to gain weight if you keep eating too much chocolate.” Umi said with a disapproving tone as they both entered Eli’s apartment. Alisa was not present at the moment to which Eli stated along the way that she’s staying overnight at Honoka’s and Yukiho’s.

 

“But I don’t even get to eat much...” Eli pouted as she entered the living room, Umi following her from behind.

 

Umi didn’t reply as she made a turn to the kitchen. She placed the packed bentos in the microwave, a second later she heard Eli slump onto the sofa. She took a peek at the blonde, making sure that she’s okay before she returned to the kitchen.

 

“Eli... the food’s ready...” Umi said after a few minutes as she set down both bentos at the table.

 

“M’kay... Coming... Thanks for preparing it...”

 

\---///---

 

Their dinner wasn’t that eventful, except for the times Eli was teasing Umi about love things or the times Umi was laughing at Eli who had food smeared on her chin. After they both had cleaned up, they settled at the sofa, Eli grinning as she brought her chocolate bar with her.

 

“I still don’t understand your love for chocolate...” Umi said, chuckling slightly as she sat down next to the blonde.

 

“It’s pretty simple, Umi! I mean, chocolate makes everything better right?” Eli grinned at the archer as she opened the bar and popped a piece of chocolate in her mouth.

 

“I...still don’t understand...” Umi replied, looking at Eli who happily munched on the chocolate.

 

“Well do you want me to show you?”

 

“Huh?” Umi eyed the blonde; there was a mischievous glint in her eyes as she bit onto the chocolate once again. _Don’t tell me..._ “What do you me—mhpf!” _I knew it..._

 

Eli kissed her, and with her mouth open, the blonde was able to slip her tongue in just like how Umi did awhile ago, but this time, there was a piece of chocolate that Eli pushed into Umi’s mouth.

 

The blonde held onto the archer’s shoulders while the latter pulled her closer with her arms around the blonde’s waist.

 

_She’s right...Chocolate does make everything better..._ Umi thought before Eli bit onto her lip gently, catching her off guard as she released a moan. The blush on her cheeks deepened in color right after; not knowing that she could release such sounds until now.

 

She was about to take revenge and give Eli a taste of her own medicine when Eli pulled back, stopping their kiss abruptly.

 

“E-Eli...?” Umi looked at the blonde. Her cheeks are red but she was sure that it wasn’t as red as hers. She had a pained expression on her face and a second later, her hand went up to clutch onto her head.

 

“Eli! What’s—What’s happening?” Umi said frantically, her hands going up to hold the blonde on the shoulders. She was becoming pale.

 

“My...head...” Eli spoke weakly. It was aching, badly. It had been for awhile but she chose not to tell the archer, however, the pain increased overtime. She slowly rubbed circles on her temples to help ease the pain but it didn’t do much.

 

She then felt a sudden piercing pain from her head, causing her to gasp out suddenly. She felt herself grow faint, falling into Umi’s arms.

 

“Eli...” Umi said, her voice sounding worried as she placed her hand on top of the blonde’s head and the other reached out to hold onto the blonde’s hand.

 

“I’m...fine... This a-always happens after s-special training... It’ll only last ‘till tomorrow...” Eli said, gripping onto the archer’s hand tightly as she felt another surge of pain.

 

“Please bear with it, Eli. I’ll go get your medi—“

 

“N-No!” Eli gasped out, almost desperately. The grip on her hand tightening as she buried her face into the crook archer’s neck. “Don’t... Don’t go... I want you here...”

 

“But you’re still in pain...”

 

“I-I don’t care...” She groaned in pain as she tried suppressing her gasps. She looked at Umi in the eye, her pained yet determined cerulean orbs meeting her worried amber eyes.  “As long as you’re with me... I believe that... I’ll be able to surpass anything...”

 

Umi just stared at Eli, her eyes widening slightly. _That’s how much she..._ Umi bit her lip before she nodded and stated firmly, “I’ll stay with you, starting today up until we part ways, I promise to stay with you, only if you could promise me the same...”

 

Eli stared back, her mind still processing what she had just heard. When she finally realized it, she almost gasped, she forgot about the pain in her head anymore as tears appeared at the edge of her eyes before she nodded vigorously.

 

“I promise...”

 

\---///---

 

There was an ear-piercing scream that filled the room; a navy blue haired woman was seated at the center, her arms and legs tied to the chair. Her scream died out, leaving her writhing and gasping in pain.

 

Three men stood at the side, one of which was wearing a lab coat, the other wearing the familiar uniform of an EFO agent. The last man stood behind the two, his clothes and face not seen due to the dim light.

 

“This has been going on for a week already, am I correct?”

 

“Yes, father. The special chip—the same thing with Ayase—will be able to function like this, you will also be able to control her by using commands sent to the chip, it’s kind of like brainwashing. With the control function, you’ll be able to make her do anything you want—make her kill the one she loves or make her fight them—and she will still be able to see what she’s doing, it’ll be pure torture for her.”

 

“There are also side effects of using this, like memory loss and triggering migraines. Ayase has migraines every once in awhile according to the aid department, this, I believe would be helpful as well, Takeo.”

 

“Indeed. It’s perfect; it would surely make things easier when I put my plan into action. Could you demonstrate it for me using her?”

 

“As you wish, father.”

 

The woman breathed heavily, as she felt the excruciating pain go away, leaving a constant ache in her head. She breathed in shakily, as she looked up weakly, seeing the man dressed with the uniform approach.

 

“H-Hiroki-k-kun... P-Please... Don’t d-do this...” The woman pleaded, there were tears streaking down on her face as she breathed out unevenly.

 

“Nothing you say will make me change my mind. You devoted yourself to me the second we became a couple. Now be a good girlfriend and keep quiet.”

 

“P-Please Hiroki-k-kun... D-Don’t drag my l-little sister and h-her friend into this... You can do a-anything to m-me... Just not my s-sis—“

 

A sudden slap resonated through the room.

 

“Shut up! You don’t get to decide anything! Now just keep quiet!”

 

The woman whimpered and nodded weakly as she looked down, tears falling from her eyes.

 

“My, my, such a noble young woman.” The same voice from before said. “I guess it does run in the family,”

 

The man from behind the other two approached the girl; a black coat is draped on his shoulders, contrasting the white polo, pants and shoes. His dark green eyes gleamed through the dimly lit room as his long dark brown hair tied to a ponytail swayed slightly.

 

He held the woman’s chin, making her flinch and force her to look at him.

 

A smile crossed his lips, as an evil glint in his eyes appeared. “Such a beautiful girl... You look so much like Ryuu...”

 

The woman whimpered once again as she thrashed around her restraints, closing her eyes so as not to look into the man’s eyes.

 

“Don’t struggle, sweetheart...” The man said, putting his other hand at the side of her face. “After we’ve broken you, your dear sister will be next... But of course, I won’t be the one to stain my hands with blood, it’ll be you, sweetie... Sonoda Yui...”

 

\---///---

 

“Eli... I’m ba—“ Umi stopped, spotting the blonde sprawled on the bed, her eyes closed as she hugged a pillow at her side. Umi chuckled softly; _She’s exhausted probably...Given what happened today..._

Umi climbed onto the bed, careful not to wake the blonde as she proceeded to pull a blanket over them, however, she stopped midway. Her eyes were drawn to the back of the blonde, since she was just wearing a sleeveless top, her shoulders and a part of her back was exposed. But it wasn’t the exposed skin that Umi was drawn to; it was the faint scars that were scattered on her back.

 

She reached out, lightly touching the most obvious scar on the blonde’s right shoulder. It was faint; from a far you wouldn’t even see it but its there. It stretched from the blonde’s shoulder, going through her shoulder blade before disappearing through the blonde’s shirt.

 

She continued tracing it, wondering where and when the blonde had gotten the scar. When her finger touched the skin on her shoulder blade, she felt an odd bump on her skin. She rubbed her finger gently over it before she realized that it was in a form of a letter, _ES...?_ She accidentally placed a lot more pressure onto the spot and all of a sudden, Eli jolted as she released a small squeak, making her retract her hand immediately.

 

“U-Umi...?” Eli said, her voice a little hoarse as she rolled to her back.

 

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up...”

 

“It’s alright... My skin is sensitive there...” Eli stated as she sat up while rubbing her eyes.

 

“O-Oh... I’m sorry...” Umi said, a small blush settled on her cheeks. “W-Where did you get that scar, Eli?”

 

Eli stayed quiet for a second before she answered with a soft voice, “It was from the military academy before, they used to whip our backs or our arms if we aren’t performing well enough, I...usually ended up being whipped when I was too exhausted... But you know, they don’t allow slackers and all so I had to endure it...”

 

“Oh...” Umi muttered quietly. “I’m sorry...”

 

“Its okay, Umi.” Eli gave a small smile. “After all, I wouldn’t be this strong if I didn’t go through that...”

 

Umi nodded before she asked, “How about the bumps on your skin...? It was in a form of letters... I think it was E and S...?”

 

“Oh. That...” Eli fell silent and looked away. “It’s a tag.”

 

“T-Tag?”

 

“ES-02AE. Experiment Subject 02 Ayase Eli. It’s what they tagged me with when I agreed to use the special chip. I don’t like it though...” Eli chuckled quietly, waving it off as if it wasn’t a big deal. This made Umi surprised.

 

“Of course you don’t like it! You shouldn’t! It’s not right to just tag someone as if they’re just am item!” Umi exclaimed, her voice sounding angry and disgusted. “Why would anyone do that? That’s preposterous!”

 

“Umi, calm down. The tag doesn’t mean anything to me, I’m still Eli right? It’s not like I changed or anything...”

 

“But it doesn’t change the fact that—“

 

Before Umi could say anything, Eli enveloped her in a hug, catching her off guard, and making her stop her sentence. The blonde nestled her chin on the archer’s shoulder.

 

“It’s ugly, it’s hideous, and it’s not supposed to be there... I know. I’ve gone through these thoughts before, thinking that I’m nothing but an item, a weapon, anything that’s not considered human. But you know...” Eli stopped as she pulled away from Umi, she gave a small smile before she continued, “I managed to overcome it by being with you and μ's. Believe it or not, you and the others have helped me in ways you couldn’t possibly imagine. From the ways you’ve cared for me, treated my wounds, made sure I eat, and encouraged me with your words, I am here now because of you and the others.”

 

“Eli...” Umi said, her expression filled with one of shock. She was speechless.

 

“That’s why I don’t care about some damn tag. It’s nothing to me. After all, I’m still the cute and clever—“

 

“Elichika...” Umi finished, smiling at the blonde before she said playfully, “You’re not as clever as you were before though.”

 

“Hey! I am clever you know!” Eli pouted, puffing her cheeks out, she soon giggled along with Umi.

 

“Let’s go to sleep then?” Umi said, holding out her hand.

 

“Okay~”.

 

“I love you, Eli.”

 

“I love you too, Umi.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gosh it's been so long, 2 months yes? Im so sorry, pls have this 7.5k+ chapter as an offering haha. Next chapter will probably be released late as well so I apologize for that in advance.
> 
> THESE TWO DORKS I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. Kiss count: 4. I just want them to cuddle up with each other all day and not care about anything. they're so cute. too bad there's a big challenge ahead of them. Eli's being hurt a lot physically but you know, Umi's there for her as well as the others. The next chap will probably include more fluff and 'hopefully' less angst... 
> 
> That's almost it! One last thing is I need your opinion, just chose from either one of these: Alisa or Grandma Ayase?
> 
> There that's it, thank you for reading and I hope this chapter did not disappoint!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Whether it be dreams or nightmares, accidents or intents, beginnings or endings, there's always a reason to everything.

-/-

_It may not seem like it, but I'm really worried. Worried about the future. The future in store for me. For us._

_I really don't know, what will happen to the both of us._

_With everything that's happening, our idol activities, competitions, and my work,; there' s more than a thousand possibilities that can happen at different and unpredictable times. Good or bad, anything can happen._

_But... The promises me and Umi made, I hold on to that._

_I hold onto those promises every single day, as if its my life line, the one thing that keeps me going, the one thing that continues to keep me sane even in this cruel and painful world._

_**She**_ _keeps me sane._

_Even in this world full of changes, she was always the constant one._

_She was there to make me laugh, when I can't even smile; to hold me, when my tears can't help but fall; to reassure me, when things don't go the way we expect; to love me, when I can't love myself._

_I really hope, that despite everything headed our way, I'll be able to protect her, be with her, keep her happy, and everything else._

_So as long as I live and breathe, as long as my body moves, as long as my heart beats, I will do anything and everything to keep my loved ones safe._

_Alisa, Umi, Nozomi, Nico, Honoka, Kotori, Maki, Hanayo, Rin. Every single one of them._

_Therefore, even though I am worried, even though I am afraid and scared of what's to come, I will never waver step back._

_When one of them is in danger, I won't hesitate. I'm willing to throw away my life, just for them to be safe and sound, for them to live._

_Their happiness—Their life, matters to me more than anything._

-/-

(After Episode 9)

"Mhn...! That was great guys!" Honoka exclaimed as she stretched out her arms.

"Thanks for your hard work everybody. That was our best performance yet." Umi said happily, a huge smile on her face as she sat by Eli's side.

"The lights was amazing, nya!" Rin commented as she leapt and enveloped Hanayo with a big hug.

"I agree, Rin-chan... It was a great performance..." Hanayo said as she pulled Rin away and giggled. She stood up and headed for the dressing room.

"Yes it was certainly—ow!" Eli was supposed to say but a foot came in contact with her left ankle, causing her to suddenly cry out involuntarily.

"Wah! I'm so sorry, Eli-chan!" Hanayo said, tearing up slightly. "I wasn't looking! I'm so—"

"I-It's okay, Hanayo. I just have a sprained ankle so it hurt much more than it's supposed to."

"Sprained ankle?" A chilling voice echoed throughout the room as a shiver ran down Eli's spine.

"M-Mhm! Wha-Wha-What about i-it, U-Umi?" Eli said, as she slowly turned around, her shoulders shaking slightly. She can feel Umi's eyes on her, and when she finally turned... If glares could kill, then Eli would probably be dead by now.

"Why haven't you told me?" Umi's voice rang through the room, Eli jolted at the sound of it while the other members watched, some amused, scared, or doesn't really care.

"B-Because you'll worry m-more! Yes! And I totally didn't have this sprain since yesterday, hahaha..." Eli said innocently.

"Eli!"

"Yes! Right! I'm sorry... Uhm, Ichiro-heichou pushed me the other day so and accidentally sprained it..." Eli said quietly, looking down. "But I'm alright though..."

"Oh..." Umi said, her tone sad before she turned to Eli with a determined expression on her face. "Promise me you'll tell me when you're hurt."

"I'll... try my best... hehe..." Eli replied, smirking.

"Eli—!"

"Now, now, you two love birds..." Nozomi chimed in, making Umi's face turn red instantly at the comment. "Umi, how about we treat your future wife's ankle, hm?"

"She's not—"

"What are you talking about Umi? Of course, I'll be your wife." Eli said teasingly, causing the girl to blush even more.

"Eli!"

"Hehehe, love you, Umi."

-/-

"It's a Friday, today right?" Eli asked Umi as they continued to walk through the cold pathway. It was past eight in the evening, it was freezing, the temperature lowering coming from the winter season.

"Yes. Time flies so fast, the competitions are nearing." Umi stated, a small smile on her face.

"It's the perfect time then. Can I sleepover at your house?" Eli asked as they both stopped at the spot where they're supposed to part ways. "Alisa says she's going to stay at Honoka's for a while to work on a project."

"Oh, of c-course! S-Sure!" Umi said, trying to hide the stutter in her voice.

Eli raised an eyebrow at Umi's reaction but nevertheless, she smiled widely at the archer. She pulled the archer into a warm embrace. "Thanks, Umi."

Slightly taken aback by Eli's sudden embrace, Umi chucked softly as she hugged back. "No problem, Eli."

-/-

" _Didn't I tell you about this mission since yesterday?!" Ichiro shouted as he shoved Eli hard, causing the blonde to step back._

" _Heichou—" Eli tried to speak._

" _Shut up!" Ichiro screamed, aiming a kick at the blonde's abdomen. Eli bent forward, coughing as she clutched the place where Ichiro had kicked her. "I have already informed you about this mission yesterday and you're telling me that I haven't? Do you think I'm stupid, Ayase?!" A slap to Eli's face._

" _H-Heichou, I-I really wasn't i-informed—"_

" _I told you to shut up didn't I?!" A hard kick sent Eli colliding with wall behind her._

" _I-I'm s-sorry, s-sir..." Eli apologized. But it was true, Ichiro hadn't informed her the mission she was supposed to do an hour ago. She was exhausted, it's only been a week since Ichiro has been her captain due to the incident with Hachiro and she hadn't been able to get any rest or sleep. If she was lucky, she could only have at least half an hour of sleep per day, if not, she would only get a few minutes or none at all._

" _I'll have Satoshi take care of this mission." Ichiro said with a disgusted tone before he turned to Eli. "Be at my office tonight. 11:50 pm. We'll be discussing your punishment beforehand and I'll be delivering it to you by that time."_

" _Y-Yes, sir." Eli said softly, trying to hide the pain in her voice as she straightened herself up._

" _What do you say?" Ichiro inquired._

" _I'm s-sorry for causing such an inconvenience to you, sir. I hope t-that my punishment would be fitting and more than e-enough to help me become a better agent." Eli said, bowing._

" _That's better." Ichiro said, a smirk on his face as he grabbed a fistful of Eli's hair and yanked her up._

_Eli grimaced but she still tried her best to hide the fear and pain from her expression as she was forced to look at the man who seemed to be a reminder that she will not and never be free._

" _Such a beauty." Ichiro whispered as his other hand caressed Eli's cheek. "Now I understand why your idol group has so much fans, but I'm not one of them. I wonder how your fans would feel if they knew you're just a puppet if mine."_

" _Heichou—" Eli gasped as she was pushed onto the floor. Her ankle twisted as she grit her teeth in pain._

" _Useless." Ichiro said as he stomped onto Eli's abdomen. "But you do make a great stress reliever."_

" _Agh!" Eli gasped out, stopping midway and suppressing her pained groans as Ichiro continued stomping on her abdomen and ribs. "H-Hei—" Stomp. "Cho-Chou...!" Stomp. "P-Plea-Please...!" Another stomp. "Sto-Stop!"_

" _Stop?! Since when have you stopped becoming such a pain for me?! Since when have you stopped angering me huh?! And you're telling me to stop?!" Ichiro shouted, his blood boiling as he once again yanked up Eli's hair and threw her on the floor once more._

_Eli coughed violently, blood coming out. The exhaustion and pain coming together, her vision blurred and her ears ringed. She didn't hear what Ichiro was saying but she knew that he was shouting as he continued to stomp and kick her._

" _ICHIRO THAT'S ENOUGH!"_

_A familiar voice rang out clear, stopping Ichiro in his torment of Eli._

_Eli coughed up blood once more, her vision blackening at times. She didn't understand what they were talking about however she was thankful that Ichiro had stopped._

_Her head hurt, so much that she felt like her head was splitting open. Her whole body was exhausted and the pain from her abdomen and ribs just made everything worse._

_The last thing she saw was the warm amber eyes and navy blue hair of Ryuu before she fell unconscious._

-/-

"Nice to meet you, Sonoda-san." Eli smiled and bowed.

"You can call me Akemi, no need for formalities here Eli-san, you're practically family here." Akemi, Umi's mother, smiled at the blonde.

"A-Akemi-s-s-san."

"Well, that's alright." Akemi chuckled.

Umi chuckled as well, seeing Eli tense up and smile awkwardly. "Is father home, mother?"

"Apparently not, but I believe he'll be home soon." Akemi mentioned as she beckoned them inside. "He said he just had a short emergency meeting."

"Alright, we'll be at the dojo, training for the competition." Umi said, pushing the tense blonde playfully inside.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! Umi, my ankle, my ankle!"

"Oh right, sorry Eli!"

-/-

"It still hurts..." Eli said as she peeled off the bandages wrapped around her ribs and abdomen, revealing dark bruises scattered all throughout.

Eli sighed, leaning onto the wall as she looked at herself in the mirror.

_Ugly..._

She wrapped the bandages around her ribs and abdomen once again, not minding the constant throbbing. She draped the gi over her shoulders and dressed up, preparing herself for the strain that is to come.

-/-

"Keep your back straight and don't hesitate, you've got this! Yes! That's great!" Eli said, a smile plastered on her face as Umi once more did the moves that Eli had thought her.

"Nice one, Umi!" Eli exclaimed, patting the back of the panting archer.

"Thank...you..." Umi said in between breaths, smiling back.

"You're so cute, Umi."

"E-Eli! We're...! Training...!"

"I know, hehe." Eli said, giggling. "What else do you want to know?"

"Uhm... What's... A move that your academy thought you... that you can never forget... A signature move of some sort?" Umi asked, a curious yet hesitant look on her face. "B-B-But if you don't want to show me it's ok—"

In a blur, Eli grabbed hold of Umi's arm, pulled her, and maneuvered.

"Agh!" Umi gasped in pain, landing onto the floor with a thud. She didn't register what happened but now, Eli's got her pinned onto the floor, her arm in a vulnerable position while her neck is threatened to be cut with a knife...if Eli was holding one.

The look in Eli's eyes was different, it was sharp and cold, as if Eli was really fighting someone.

Umi tried to move but her arm hurt immediately so she tapped onto Eli to signal her surrender.

The blonde didn't move, her eyes blank. Umi's brows furrowed and she tapped once more before saying, "E-Eli."

It took a second before it registered, and Eli leapt off the archer, shaking her head vigorously.

"I'm so sorry, Umi!" Eli said, backing away as she bowed. "I d-didn't mean to– I lost control and uh– I'm sorry. That move–I just–I—"

"It's okay, Eli..." Umi said, standing up slowly, stretching her back and muttering a short 'ow'.

"D-Did I hurt you?" Eli asked, her voice sounding small and scared.

"No, it's fine. It's fine." Umi said, giving the blonde a small smile. She tried approaching her but the blonde kept moving back. "Don't worry."

"But–You–The floor—" Eli said frantically before Umi cut her off by placing her hands onto Eli's shoulders. Eli flinched.

"It's alright, Eli." Umi reassured, staring right into Eli's scared and concerned eyes. "Besides, I was the one who asked you to demonstrate it, its on me."

"But s-still, I didn't hesitate n-nor hold back... I d-didn't even let you go when you t-tapped me the first time..." Eli said, avoiding Umi's eyes.

"Eli."

"Y-Yes?"

Umi used both her hands and made Eli face her, without warning whatsoever, Umi kissed the blonde's forehead.

Eli immediately burst into red.

"It's okay." Umi said as she pulled away. "Do you believe me now?"

Eli bowed her head and gave a small nod.

Umi smiled, though her cheeks were red as well, at least the blonde was reassured.

"Let's get back to training then?" Umi asked, lowering her head to meet the blonde's eyes.

"Mhm." Eli hummed, her face still red.

-/-

"Spar?" Umi inquired, setting down her bow.

After Eli's short training session with Umi, they both separated and went to train on their own, Eli practicing her martial arts while Umi, her archery. They trained on their own for about half an hour.

"Sure—" Eli looked up and said before being cut off.

"Girls, dinner's ready!"

"After dinner." Eli smiled, giggling a bit.

"Alright."

-/-

Eli and Umi walked through the halls of the Sonoda Household. Each step of the way Eli only became more and more intrigued, either because the house looked very much like a traditional Japanese house, or the fact that there were portraits and pictures of Umi and her family hanged and displayed all throughout the walls.

Eli stopped for a moment, staring at a picture frame. This particular one was a family photo, the whole family wearing kimonos but what intrigued Eli the most was the girl standing next to Umi. Her eyes were the same color, as well as the length of her hair, the only difference is the bangs present.

"Hey, Umi." Eli called onto the archer who didn't seem to notice that she had stopped. "Who—Who's this?"

Umi approached and looked at the picture. "Ah, that's my older sister, Yui. Sonoda Yui."

"Sonoda Yui..." Eli muttered quietly before she asked. "Where is she now?"

"Well, we haven't really had any news from her much, but we are aware that she has a boyfriend, if I remember correctly, his name's Hiroki." Umi said.

"Oh, alright. Good for her! But of course, her little sister's got someone better than a boyfriend because she's got a girl—"

"E-ELI!"

"What's the commotion girls?" Akemi's voice came in, startling the two.

"Nothing, mother!" Umi said, her face as red as a rose while Eli was trying to suppress her giggles.

"Well, let's have dinner then, the food's waiting." Akemi said, giving the both a knowing smile.

"O-Okay..." The both said in unison.

-/-

"So Eli-chan, your father, where is he?" Akemi inquired.

They were sitting together eating dinner, like how a typical family would. Umi was seated next to Eli while Akemi sat across them both, a clean plate present next to Akemi's plate, signifying that there should be another person.

"He's situated in Moscow, Russia. He runs a business there after serving in EFO here before." Eli said, her voice sounding small. "He also takes care of my grandmother from time to time..."

"Ah yes! Your grandmother, Umi says you talk about your grandmother quite often." Akemi mentioned, giving the blonde a small smile.

"That's true... Though..." Eli muttered as she looked down.

"Though...?" Umi asked the blonde.

"She isn't well at the moment..." Eli said quietly. "She's been confined in the hospital for quite a while now according to Papa."

"Oh, I see." Akemi replied, a look of pity crossed her features but she chose not to dwell on it much. "How's—"

"I'm home." A familiar voice cut off Akemi's sentence.

They all looked at where the voice came from and spotted a very familiar person.

"Welcome home, father." Umi stood up to greet him.

"Welcome home, dear." Akemi said, standing up and approaching the older Sonoda. "We have a guest."

Ryuu looked up, spotting the familiar blonde. "Ayase."

Eli, out of habit, stood up from her seat, saluted and bowed. "Sonoda-heichou."

There was then a tense atmosphere in the room, before it was broken by a loud sigh from Ryuu.

"You don't have to call me that when we're here." Ryuu stated as both he and Akemi approached the table and sat down. Eli and Umi did the same as well. "We're not at work."

Eli had a surprised look on her face but nevertheless, she nodded silently.

"How's work dear?" Akemi asked her husband as they all started eating again.

"Stressful. As always." Ryuu said with a sigh. "Ichiro's being a pain again, going on about his agents' performance. The operations head is losing his temper again and Hachiro's scheduling more meetings."

"Oh my." Akemi responded. "Get some rest then dear."

"It's fine." Ryuu sighed, before turning his gaze to the blonde in front of him. "How are you, Eli?"

Eli jolted at the sudden use of her first name. "I'm fine, Heichou. Thank you."

"You can call me, Ryuu. Like I said, we're not at work anyway." Ryuu said, watching the blonde carefully. "How's training going for you two?"

Umi looked up from her plate and spoke, "It's going well, father. Eli has taught me a few things and she agreed to learn archery in the future."

"Is that so?" Ryuu said in reply. "I'm sure Eli would be able to learn quickly. She's a fast learner... Though she does overwork herself..."

A blush appeared on Eli's cheeks before she gasped out, "H-Heichou!"

Ryuu chuckled in amusement, followed by Umi as well as giggles from Akemi.

"Mou, Umi..." Eli muttered with a pout.

"Sorry, sorry." Umi chuckled before they all returned to eating.

It took them about half an hour to finish eating, with Ryuu and Akemi asking the two girls about either training or their idol activities, as well as their plans in the future.

After dinner, Eli and Umi then returned to the dojo where they resumed training.

-/-

After two sparring matches between Eli and Umi, they agreed that the third match they have would be the last one for the day. In those two matches, as expected, Umi hadn't been able to bring Eli down.

Umi kept her distance, waiting for Eli to make the first move. _Eli doesn't usually make the first move and keeps her stance guarded, not making it easy for me to break her guard._

Eli, unsure of what Umi's planning, aimed a roundhouse kick to Umi's head, in which she knew Umi would dodge, and she did, but what caught her off guard was the immediate fist aiming for her ribs.

The blonde moved to the side, dodging the punch and counterattacking with a punch of her own.

In less than a second however, she was thrown onto the floor using the same technique she had demonstrated a while ago.

"AGH!" Eli cried out in pain as she landed on the floor with a loud thud. The pain resonated from her back to all throughout her ribs and abdomen, causing her to involuntarily gasp out in pain.

"E-Eli!" Umi exclaimed worriedly. She had perfectly copied the technique Eli had demonstrated, but she knew she put too much force in bringing her down. "I'm sorry!"

Eli didn't respond, the pain in her abdomen and ribs intensifying. She grit her teeth, suppressing her pained cries with soft whimpers.

"E-E-Eli..." Umi said, her voice soft and sounding guilty. She bent down and tried helping the blonde up.

"A-A-Agh..." Eli whimpered, her left hand holding her side.

Umi bit her lip, she trudged onto the bench near them and sat down the blonde who leaned back, a pained look on her face.

The archer looked away, her head bowed, guilt crossing her features.

"U-Umi..." Eli said, pain still present in her voice as she pressed her hand to her side, hoping to lessen the pain. She tried looking at the archer, who stood up and stepped back. "H-Hey, don't worry... I-It's fine—"

The archer bowed in front of the blonde, tears falling. "I'm very sorry, Eli..." Umi whispered, a crack in her voice.

Eli sighed, despite the pain, she stood up. "Raise your head, Umi." She said softly, a sad smile on her face.

The archer did as she was told, though her face was covered by her hair and she was still looking down.

The blonde reached up, she gently moved Umi's blue tresses away from her face, revealing the archer's tear stained face. There were still tears silently falling down from her face and she refused to look into Eli's eyes.

"I'm sorry, I don't think I told you... Even though we promised..." Eli said sadly as she lightly cupped the archer's face, using her thumbs to wipe away her tears. "The other day, my captain in EFO, Ichiro-heichou, he became more abusive than usual."

Umi remembered what the blonde told her about that specific captain, her head immediately shot up, and she looked straight into Eli's eyes as more tears fell, a look of disbelief on her face.

"He wasn't able to contain his anger and used me, or in his terms, punished me for my 'insufficiency' or the fact that he didn't assign me the mission I was supposed to do." The blonde sighed, lowering her hand. "Because of that, my ankle got sprained as you saw earlier, and..."

Eli silently peeled off her gi and unraveled the bandages, taking it off for good. The cold air brushing over her ribs and abdomen where numerous bruises were scattered. "He went overboard... Up to the point where I started coughing out blood and falling unconscious."

"E...li..." Umi whispered in shock, taking in the condition of the blonde who quickly put back her gi to cover the discoloration on her skin as she let go of the bandages, which fell onto the floor silently.

"That's why when you threw me using the technique I showed you, which was very impressive by the way," Eli gave a small smile. "It hurt a lot more than it should've. I'm sorry, I should've told you but I didn't want you to hold back in training, especially since the competition is fast approaching."

Umi bit her lip and spoke softly, "Can you...show me your back...?"

Eli sighed once more but a small smile appeared on her lips before she nodded and said, "Alright."

The blonde removed her gi, revealing once more the turquoise hues that adorned her skin. She turned around and allowed the archer to take initiative.

She jolted when Umi's cold fingers touched her back, which the archer pulled back on instinct, however Eli quickly reassured her that it was alright.

"There's already...a bruise forming..." Umi said, her voice pained and small. A new set of tears threatening to fall down. "Your scars..."

She traced the scars on the blonde's back. She continued slowly and finally reaching the part where the tag was. Very lightly, she traced it with her index finger as she leaned closer.

"U-Umi..." Eli whimpered, she knew very well that Umi's familiar that her skin was sensitive there however, she couldn't figure out why Umi was touching her there all of a sudden. "H-H-Hey..."

Umi rested her head on the blonde's back, the tears finally falling. "I-I'm...so sorry..."

There were whimpers that can be heard from the archer, as well as soft 'sorry's and occasional hiccups. Her hand, that was going over Eli's scars and tag, was clutching tightly on the blonde's shoulder blade.

"It's okay." Eli said, however she didn't say anything else afterwards. She bowed her head, her own tears falling as well.

They stayed in the same position for a while until Eli had stopped and turned.

She pulled the archer into a hug, holding her tightly, afraid of letting go. "Umi..."

"E-Eli..." Umi said softly with a sniff, nuzzling her face in the crook of the blonde's neck. She hugged back, embracing her tightly as well.

"It's alright, it's all okay..." Eli reassured, patting the archer's head. "We can stop training now, let's just continue tomorrow alright?"

Umi nodded in agreement but still she didn't let go of the blonde.

Eli released a soft giggle as she reached for the archer's hand and intertwined them, giving it a small squeeze before they both backed away from the hug, Umi still sniffing.

The blonde put on her gi and took Umi's hand once again.

"Let's go rest."

-/-

Yui's eyes slowly fluttered open. The more she became awake, the more she felt the weakness in her limbs and the ache in her head.

_What happened..._ Was the first question that popped up in her mind, but as soon as she had seen that she was confined in a room similar to a jail cell, she remembered.

She bit her lip and closed her eyes tightly, trying to block out the horrid memories bubbling up.

Shaking her head, she pushed herself up slowly. There was still an ache in her head, coupled by the newly found dizziness that washed over her.

" _Hey, are you alright?" Hiroki asked, a concerned look on his face._

" _I-It's fine. I'm just a little dizzy." Yui replied, her index finger rubbing circles on her temple in an attempt to lessen the dizziness._

" _Here." Hiroki said, holding out his hand. "Hold onto me. I'm here for you."_

"Hiroki-kun..." Yui whispered. She felt tears trying to escape her eyes but she didn't let them, instead, she just lowered her head and grit her teeth, her hands clenched.

She remembered how Hiroki used to look into her eyes with much love and affection, but that memory was now tainted with the new events that happened and the cold empty look in his eyes. It's as if everything they've been through as a couple was now thrown away, as if it never happened.

Yui leaned onto the wall, the cold and dampness of it seeping through the thin material of her shirt. Her clothes were ragged and dirty, but it was good enough to do it's purpose considering the strain that had happened.

She released a sigh, although she had just awoke from sleeping, she was still exhausted. The physical pain brought by the device and mental strain had really took a toll on her body and she wanted nothing more than to fall asleep once again.

"Oh, you're awake." A familiar voice said, jolting Yui awake.

She turned to the sound of the voice, spotting both Hiroki and the man dressed in a white suit as well as another man dressed with a lab coat.

Yui didn't respond, she simply grunted and faced the other way, avoiding the stares of the three men.

"My, my, fiesty indeed..." The man in a white suit said, observing the girl as Hiroki unlocked the room and entered.

Very roughly, Hiroki grabbed a fistful of Yui's hair and pulled her up.

Yui struggled, holding onto Hiroki's hand that was grabbing her hair. She knew she could fight back much more but Hiroki would easily overpower her, but still, she continued to struggle.

"How cute." Hiroki smirked, tightening his grip on her hair and causing her to release a gasp of pain. "Struggle all you want, you won't be leaving this place. Now," He threw the girl onto the floor and stomped on her side. Yui grit her teeth, suppressing any pained gasps.

Hiroki gestured to the man with the lab coat. "This is Hachiro, you've seen him before. He's here to configure the special chi—"

"Do you think I care about what the hell you're saying, Hiroki?" Yui said, her voice full of venom.

The brunette fell silent, a shocked look on his face.

"You've broken me already. You've done enough damage! What more do you want?!" Yui yelled at her ex-boyfriend, tears appearing at the edge of her eyes.

Hiroki opened his mouth to speak, "That's enough, Hiroki. I'll take over from here." The man in the suit said.

Gritting his teeth, Hiroki exited the room and left the three of them alone.

"It seems like we still have some work to do on Hiroki." The man in the suit sighed as he entered the room. "Take note of that, Hachiro."

"As you wish, sir." Hachiro said in response.

Yui glared at the man, backing away from him and observing him cautiously.

"Scared?" The man chuckled. "I don't think I've introduced myself properly. I'm known by the name Takeo Takahashi, however, my real name is Satoshi Shima."

He approached the younger girl and kneeled to her level before continuing. "I've been friends with your father since we were agents. We were the best of friends, along with Hachiro, and we became rivals for the rankings. However," A dark look crossed his features. "He took the number one spot during our time as agents, or should I say, Rank 1—"

"So just because he beaten you ages ago, you want to get back to him by sabotaging his family and one of his agents?!"

"Shut up!" A slap. Takeo grabbed the girl's hair and banged her head to the wall out of anger. "You don't know what I've been through! I gambled everything! My family needed me to prove to them that I was worthy of being the heir to our family, the family that has been with EFO since it started, the family wherein every single one of them acquired the top spot as an agent. If I was able to get the top spot, my family wouldn't have _abandoned_ me! They wouldn't have disowned me and they would've supported me all throughout. But no. Your father acquired the top spot, leaving me 2nd to him. It was hell from then on. I changed my name, my look and and everything else until I managed to pick myself up and start my own company and family. Now... I'll be able to get back to your father."

Yui's eyes widened in fear as she saw an evil glint in Takeo's eyes. Evil and dangerous.

"One way or another, I will capture your little sister. Lure the blonde agent. And use all means I can to make all of your deaths slow and painful. And I'll have your father deal with the aftermath." Takeo said with a chuckle, smiling at the thought.

"You won't succeed." Yui said firmly, glaring a the man whose grip tightened on her hair.

"Sure, I won't." Takeo said sarcastically. "My plans have been going smoothly, I have my men all going around and alerting EFO, making them send out their agents and of course, the blonde is sent out occasionally. That makes it easier for me to observe her movements. And,"

He ran his hand down her hair gently, as if to mock her. "I believe you are aware, your little sister and the blonde are idols... Easy right? Plus I have Hachiro and Hiroki inside the agency to update me with changes and inform me with anything that happens."

Yui's face fell as everything finally sunk in. _He planned everything perfectly... There's... Nothing else we can do..._ She gulped, trying to remain defiant even though deep within her, she knew how little the chance they have to win this battle.

"What's... What's my role in all of this..." Yui implored, her voice quiet.

"Oh you?" Takeo let go of his hold on her hair, her head making contact with the floor with a thud. He stood up and looked down on her. "You'll be killing your own sister."

-/-

_=== Current time: 9:08:15 pm_

"Your room..." Eli began as she looked around the room. It was a simple Japanese style room, though instead of a usual futon, she had a bed. A decent desk is present right across her bed and a medium sized closet next to a window. All of Umi's belongings were neatly organized and you could really tell that it was hers. "Well, your room literally screams out your personality..."

"You could say that..." Umi said quietly, bowing her head to cover the light blush on her cheeks.

"So..." Eli said as she set her bag down on Umi's desk. "Do I set up a futon or...?"

"I-It's f-f-f-fine... We c-can sleep to-to-together..." Umi stuttered, the blush on her cheeks deepening in color. "B-Besides... We're... We're a c-couple r-r-ri— Eli?!"

Eli pulled the archer into her arms, and pressed a kiss on her forehead.

"E-E-Eli!" Umi tried pulling away from the blonde, her face turning as red as a tomato. "Wha-What's t-this all of a s-sudden?!"

Eli only responded by bringing the archer closer and nuzzling her face near the archer's neck. "I love you..."

"El-Eli!" Umi pushed the blonde, her embarrassment taking over her. She covered her face with her hands and turned away from the blonde.

"And you were the one who ended up cuddling me in bed before..." Eli teased, poking the archer's cheeks from behind.

"That was...! That was b-before!" Umi stammered, her face still red.

"Hehe... You're finally smiling now..." Eli smiled, before she turned and went to where her bag is. "I think that's enough for today, can I take a shower? We'll rest right after, I'll be back soon." She said, grabbing her clothes and exiting the room.

"Thank goodness." Umi sighed to calm herself down, although her face was still buried in her hands. She shook her head to clear her mind as she sat down.

She looked down, a sad smile appeared on her lips as she remembered the event that happened just a little while ago. _What if... Something goes wrong between us... Or maybe, something worse... I... I don't want to lose you... Eli..._

-/-

"Do you think they're alright over there?" Akemi asked her husband as she entered his office, her voice laced with concern. She set down the tray containing two cups of tea for the both of them.

"I'm sure they're alright. They're both responsible girls." Ryuu said, not turning his eyes away from the papers in front of him.

"I'm overthinking much aren't I..." Akemi deduced with a sigh as she handed him a cup of tea in which Ryuu muttered a short 'thank you.'

"How are things at work? I know you didn't tell us everything since, well, Eli-chan's around."

Ryuu paused, he gave a glance to Akemi before he sighed and leaned back to his chair, his finger rubbing his temples.

"Ichiro's becoming more and more out of control. El—Ayase, she...ended up in the aid department the other day. He was given a week off, as well as Ayase, but she's only excused for missions however, if there are any trainings or meetings, she has to attend." Ryuu explained, his tone stressed. "When Ichiro's back, Ayase would still be under his 'care' for two more weeks."

"Isn't that too much of a punishment for just a short statement that Eli-chan said?" Akemi questioned.

"Hachiro has had quite a temper recently, especially when you get on his nerves." Ryuu sighed, he sipped his tea and looked through his papers. "The operations head is also rushing Ayase with the mission she's assigned to, leading to more trainings with the special chip."

"When is the operations head planning to make Eli-chan take action?"

"The night after their martial arts and archery competition. Worst possible timing, especially since Ayase would be exhausted right after, but of course, she won't protest, and even if she does, the operations head's words and decisions are final." Ryuu elaborated, a furrow in his brow as he continued to go through his files.

"What are the risks?" Akemi questioned, her tone serious.

"There are many risks but one thing's for sure," Ryuu paused, looking straight into Akemi's eyes. "She _could_ get killed."

-/-

The couple was lying down in bed, both on their sides, facing each other. Eli's eyes were half-closed, feeling the exhaustion sink in. Umi staring at her, observing the blonde silently.

_She looks so... peaceful..._ Umi's brow furrowed and she breathed a quiet sigh. _It's so different... An expression I've never seen from her during the day..._

She rolled and laid on her back, her gaze meeting the ceiling as she stared blankly. _I wasn't around since the beginning... I can never understand the pain that she's been through or the past that has raised her to become the person she is today... But seeing her right now, her expression so peaceful..._ A frown appeared on her face. _I just wish that...soon...she'll truly be peaceful and happy in the future..._

"Umi..." Eli called, her voice soft and somewhat weak, and her eyes are closed as she spoke.

The archer rolled back to her original position and responded, "Yes, Eli?"

"Are you...alright with me?"

"Huh?" Umi asked, a confused look on her face. "What do you mean?"

"With how things are...between the both of us..." Eli breathed out, her eyes still closed.

"Of course I am, why would I not be?" Umi said almost immediately, she was still confused as to why Eli was asking her that as of the moment but her words are true; it's no doubt that she loves the blonde and the way things are between them brings her so much joy even if at times unfortunate events happen.

"I'm just...asking..." Eli mumbled, she opened her eyes, meeting the archer's eyes.

They were silent for a second before Umi spoke, "What's on your mind?"

"Hmmm... I guess, I'm just worried about the future..." Eli admitted, looking away. Her voice was quite small and soft, a big difference from her confident and refined voice she uses during the day. "There's quite a lot on my shoulders and I'm just worried... Starting from keeping up my grades, idol activities, the martial arts competition, and of course, the responsibilities given to me in EFO. I'm just...worried that I might not be able to balance them, or maybe even overwhelm you with these activities..."

"I see..." Umi said as she processed the words Eli had said.

"Anyways—"

"I haven't really...thought about how things are going to be between us in the future but..." She met the blonde's eyes. "I understand you and the responsibilities that rests upon your shoulders, and I know that you try to make as much time as possible for us to spend time together, even the thought of that brings me joy and warmth. As long as we keep our promise, and love each other truly and genuinely, I believe that we're going to be okay, everything will turn out alright." She smiled at the end, seeing Eli who was taken aback.

"O-Oh..." Eli said, astonished, but it didn't take long for her to smile back. She scooted closer to the archer and hugged her. "Thank you, Umi."

Umi's smile widened, she then placed a hand on the blonde's head and gave it a soft pat. She hugged the blonde back.

Eli chuckled and spoke, "I don't know, I can't quite explain but... I feel much safer...when I'm in your arms."

The archer's eyes widened for a moment but she smiled once again and chuckled, "Mhm, me too."

-/-

_It was hazy, she couldn't see clearly and there were white spots occasionally appearing in her vision._

' _Huh?' Eli wondered out loud as two blurred figures appeared. One was using its hand to slash the other with a knife. The other figure however, was doing well to avoid it but it's movements were getting slower and slower._

_Eli tried to clear her vision, blinking several times but it was no use. It was still blurry and hazy, at the same time, pain radiated from her head suddenly, making it harder to focus and see her surroundings clearly._

_It was only when the figures stopped moving that Eli's vision cleared._

_Eli's eyes widened in shock. The knife was now embedded into_ _ **her**_ _chest._ _ **Her.**_

" _Umi!" Eli shouted. She tried reaching out, but her limbs failed to move. She tried shouting louder just so the archer can hear her and yet, it was still useless._

_The other figure, was a girl, much like Umi. Her hair the same length, her eyes the same shade, and her movements the same gracefulness, the only difference was the bangs present on her hair and the cold and blank look in her eyes._

" _Onee…san…" Umi said, her tone taken aback. She staggered in her footing, her hand gripping the handle of the knife._

" _UMI!" Eli screamed, her voice desperate as she felt tears roll down her cheeks._

_The archer pulled the knife out in one swift motion but at the same time, an ear-piercing scream echoed all throughout. More blood was shed as Umi fell on her knees, her hand pressing onto the wound._

_Eli tried and tried, but she still couldn't move. She watched helplessly as the girl looking down on Umi picked up the knife._

_The knife was raised, as Umi looked back at Eli. She smiled sadly._

" _I'm sorry. I love you… Eli."_

_-/-_

Eli's eyes flew open, immediately seeing a pair of teary amber eyes.

"U…mi…" The blonde stammered. Tears were still rolling down on her cheeks, her breathing still heavy, and she was sweating all over.

"You're finally awake…" Umi said, relief present in her voice. "What—"

"Umi!" Eli cried, she bolted up and pulled the archer into a tight embrace. _It was just a nightmare. Just a nightmare. It's not real. It won't happen._ Eli kept repeating to herself as she buried her head into the archer's neck, hugging her much more tightly.

The archer was taken aback by the sudden embrace from the blonde but despite that, she hugged back and rubbed the back of Eli's head to provide her the comfort she needs. Whatever nightmare she had must've been horrible; she had never seen the blonde cry and shake that badly just because of a nightmare. It must've been different, different from all the other nightmares she had before.

It took around two to three minutes before Eli had calmed down and pulled away from the embrace. However, that didn't stop the infinite replay of the scene in her head.

"Eli...?" Umi said softly as she sat across the blonde. Slowly, she lowered her head and used her hand to move the blonde's hair away from her face so that she could look at her in the eye.

When their eyes finally met, Eli could only look away almost immediately.

"What happened...?" Umi asked, she held onto Eli's hand, intertwining her fingers around hers. "I'm not forcing you but it's better out than in right?"

Eli hesitated for a moment, she opened her mouth to speak but closed it, however it didn't take long before she spoke, her voice weak.

"You, you were killed..." Eli whispered as she hung her head. "I couldn't do anything... You were just killed...right in front of me. A knife pierced through your chest... The killer..."

"The killer...?"

"It was your sister..." Eli said, her voice low and weak. She was at the brink of crying once more.

Umi sighed, she placed a hand on Eli's head and ruffled her hair back and forth. "That's not gonna happen, Eli." She smiled weakly at the blonde. "The chances of that happening are zero. My sister isn't that kind of person, she's been raised well here and of course, I've been with her before, so please don't worry, Eli."

"It's not that..." Eli mumbled. "I just can't stand the thought of losing you..." She sniffed, and used her other hand to wipe away her tears.

"You won't lose me." Umi reassured, as she gently tilted Eli's head up and met her with her eyes before she spoke determinedly, "I'll always be by your side remember?"

Eli's eyes widened but nevertheless, it didn't take long her for to smile back, more tears spilling.

"You...never fail to cheer me up and reassure me..." Eli smiled, she embraced the archer once again and gave a soft squeeze on Umi's hand. "I love you so much..."

-/-

_=== Current time: 3:46:25 am_

Eli stared down onto the floor. She couldn't sleep, her thoughts kept going back and forth to the dream she had.

She sighed for the umpteenth time, her head was starting to ache.

" _Onee…san…" Umi said, her tone taken aback. She staggered in her footing, her hand gripping the handle of the knife._

Eli shook her head, trying to clear her mind. She turned to the side, seeing the archer asleep. The blonde gave a small smile and very gently, she placed her hand on Umi's head.

She continued doing this until a thought crossed her mind. _Y. S. Yui Sonoda..._ The family picture she had seen flashed in her mind, the appearance of Umi's older sister was very similar to the one she had seen in dream.

_It can't be._ Eli shook her head once again, using her fingers to rub circles on her temples. _Dreams don't mean anything. It's not real. Get a grip, Eli._

Eli sighed once again as she closed her eyes, hoping to get some sleep.

-/-

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I'm so sorry. Very very sorry. :(
> 
> Uhm, I went through a very rough time right after posting the last chapter. Severe depression, suicidal shiz, school theater play, exams, blah blah blah and everything else but I've recovered and finally went back to writing. Huhu, please forgive me.
> 
> I've only recently came back to writing so please forgive me for the grammar, spelling and even the characters actions and thoughts. :((
> 
> But anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, there's another one coming soon (Chapter 8.5). It's just short, it'll continue from this chapter. Just a little extra to add to this story.
> 
> Also, I'll be helping out my brother with his original story so I'll apologize in advance for the next chapter (Chapter 9).
> 
> We're almost getting to the climax hehe, I hope you all are still with me.
> 
> If anyone wants to send some ideas or suggestions, or just want to talk to me or ask stuff about the story, feel free to review or pm me. I'm open to anyone and anything.
> 
> Thank you for reading and once again, I apologize for such a late update.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8.5

With everything that's happening, you never fail to bring a smile on my face, even amidst the darkest of times.

-/-

"Good morning, Eli." Umi greeted with a smile as she entered the room, seeing the blonde who just sat up.

"Good... Morninggg..." Eli yawned as she rubbed her eyes. "What time is it...?"

"6 in the morning." The archer replied. She sat down next to the blonde, smiling at her current state. _Cute_. "Mother told me to wake you up, we're having breakfast already."

"Alright..." The blonde replied with another yawn. "I'll be there right away..."

"Okay," Umi said, smiling as she walked out the room, closing the door on the way out.

Eli sighed as she stretched her arms out. "6 am, huh...?" She stood up slowly and placed her earpiece back in, gritting her teeth as she felt a sharp pain pierce through her head as soon as she turned on the earpiece.

She was still exhausted, only having about two hours of sleep due to the constant thoughts in her head.

With another sigh, she massaged her head for a bit before leaving the room.

-/-

"Ah, Eli-chan, good morning!" Akemi greeted as the said girl who had just entered the dining area. "Take a seat, breakfast is ready. Eat it while it's hot!"

"T-Thank you, Akemi-san..." Eli said in reply and did as she was told, sitting right next to Umi.

"Hey, hey, Eli-chan! Umi woke up extra early today you know,"

"Mother—"

"She said she wanted to cook breakfast for you!"

"M-Mother!" Umi stuttered as she blushed deeply. "Please don't say that out loud..." She mumbled, lowering her head.

"Oh, is that so?" Eli smiled, a light blush settled on her cheeks as well and she turned to look at the archer and quickly gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, Umi."

"...Eh?" Umi's blush became deeper, as if the color doubled. "E-E-E-E-Eli!" She stammered.

The blonde only gave a small smile in response, which didn't help the archer much.

"How cute," Akemi said sweetly, seeing Eli tease her daughter. She laughed and giggled along with them.

-/-

"Have you taken the medicines, Hiroki?" Takeo inquired as he entered the room in which Hachiro and Hiroko stood by two large monitors and a couple smaller ones.

"Yes, father. I apologize for what happened." Hiroki replied, bowing as he said so. "I will do my utmost to ensure the success of this endeavor."

"Very well," Takeo commented as he approached and ruffled his son's hair a bit. "So, are we ready?"

"I believe so, Takeo. I've prepared everything we need. Just a press of a button and all of EFO's data will be copied and acquired by us." Hachiro stated as he stepped back, away from the monitor and keyboard.

"Well then," Takeo smirked as he neared towards the monitors and hovered his hand over the keyboard. "Without further ado." His finger pushed down.

-/-

"Where's father?" Umi asked just as they had finished listening to Akemi who was inviting Eli to watch the upcoming dance exhibition.

"He was in his office before I came to prepare breakfast with you," Akemi stated. "He should be here soon."

And he was, indeed, running towards them.

"Ayase!" Ryuu called out, as he stood at the entrance of the hall, panting and covered with sweat. A concerned and distressed expression on his face.

All three of them turned their gazes to him.

"Heichou." Eli stood up, bowing out of instinct. Noticing the use of her last name, she was sure that something had happened at the agency.

"Is there something wrong? Father?" Umi asked. Judging from the look on her father's face, she knew. Although it was not her business to pry, she wants to know.

"There is definitely something wrong," Ryuu said, his tone serious as he approached the table. "I've been contacted by the agency, it seems like Takeo has made his move."

Eli flinched, hearing her target's name. She spoke wearily, "What did he do, sir?"

With a frustrated sigh, "He hacked into our database, all our information's with him."

The blonde's eyes widened, her knees weakened and she took a step back. _That means everything we know is with him. All our leads and clues. All of the information about me, about the other agents and even the captains. Giving him the perfect opportunity to use those to foil my mission to rid of him._

"Keep it together, Ayase," Ryuu said firmly, seeing Umi jump up to support the blonde. "Not all is lost yet." _What a lie._

"I-I apologize, sir," Eli said, biting her lip as she held onto Umi. She tried to steady her breathing which was, unknowingly ragged and uneven; her head started to hurt.

The four of them sat down in the living room, leaving the dining table, their food becoming cold.

Umi held onto the blonde's shoulder to provide her some support. _The way she held me awhile go..._ She grit her teeth. _That was definitely her trying to hide her fear._

"Setting aside that the agency's security wasn't the best, what we know is that Takeo is aware of you." Ryuu began, his expression unreadable and his voice remained monotonous. "Your abilities and activities, the school you go to, your family and even your friends. In addition to that is your popularity as school idols, with that, you're much more open to the public, allowing him to track you easier."

The blonde just listened, a blank look on her face as she stared down.

"Because of this, we wouldn't know when, where, who and how he would attack. He's been unpredictable in the past cases before and with our information in his hands, it's more than likely that he'll be doing quite a lot of unknown preparations." Ryuu gave another frustrated sigh. "However, the question is this,"

Eli looked up, her expression stoic as ever.

"Continuing the mission will generate plenty of risks. Including the possibility of severe physical, mental, emotional damage and of course..." Ryuu trailed off, looking away.

"Death." Eli finished for him.

"Yes," Ryuu said regretfully. "Do you still—"

"I apologize for cutting you off, Heichou," Eli said, her voice containing no emotion whatsoever. "I believe what you were trying to ask me is if I want to continue this mission. I apologize again, Heichou, but I have no say in this decision of whether or not I want to continue. I have agreed to this mission from the start and it is my duty as an agent to fulfill this successfully. I am to abide by my superiors' orders regardless of my feelings or thoughts towards it, if I were to fail or I am unable to follow orders, I am ready and willing to accept any punishment fit for me to improve and become a better agent."

Those words silenced the room, no one spoke another word.

Umi looked at Eli in shock. The words she spoke felt like she was trained—forced to say them. _And the last part was definitely not 'better agent', she was saying that because she still thinks of herself as a weapon. If a weapon fails to do its job, it would undergo a process to become a better one. In other words, punishment for her to become a better agent._

"Very well," Ryuu spoke under the heavy silence. "I shall inform the agency."

-/-

Eli remained silent after that. She excused herself and stayed in Umi's bedroom as the archer and her parents ate breakfast, a heavy silence still present around them.

Umi silently moved the food around her plate, her appetite lost. She glanced to the side, seeing Eli's plate in which not even one-fourth of the food was finished. Of course, she wasn't any better. After finishing what seemed to be half of her food, she left the table and headed towards her room without another word.

Upon entering her room, she saw the blonde seated on her desk, her arms crossed and her head nuzzled in between. But even as she naps, her shoulders were tense and her hands were clenched into fists. Seeing the blonde in this state, an ache settled in Umi's heart.

Papers were scattered everywhere, along with folders and photos. Some were written in a different language in which Umi can't understand. Some were photos with unreadable scribbles noted on the side, and there were papers with neat handwriting, labeled as reports.

"Mnh..." Eli groaned. Startling the archer who was standing in place.

The blonde lifted her head and uncrossed her arms as she rubbed her temples, trying to ease the ache that had come back.

"Eli," Umi called out, catching the attention of the blonde.

"Ah, Umi." Eli turned to the archer. "I'm sorry, I made a mess here and fell asleep."

"It's alright, you probably didn't get enough sleep last night—I mean, this morning...?"

"Yes, but still, sorry about this," Eli said as she started to arrange the papers. "You can take a shower, I'll pack this up. After that we can train, I've texted Alisa about this already and she says it's alright, plus I'll probably be going directly to the agency after this so—"

"Calm down, Eli," Umi spoke, interrupting the blonde. "It's fine, it's all okay. You don't have to pack those up if you need to study them. And we can wait 'til after lunch for us to train."

"Sorry," Eli muttered.

"What's wrong?" Umi inquired, noticing the blonde's gloomy aura.

"It's... Nothing really. I just..." Eli looked away, clenching her fist as she looked over the papers on the table.

"What you said earlier... You still think of yourself as a weapon, don't you?"

Eli remained silent, but her fist tightened and she still refused to look away.

"Eli please..." Umi whispered, approaching the blonde and placing a hand on her shoulder. "You said it to me before, 'I'm always here for you if you need me,' I'd like to do the same for you."

The blonde released a long sigh, her tense muscles relaxing slightly as she looked up and met the archer's eyes, in which Umi responded with a small smile.

"Here." Eli handed Umi a folder. "It has all the information I have about my mission."

"'Special Operation No. 2 - Takeo Takahashi'" Umi muttered as she examined the folder. She opened it, her attention immediately directed to the picture in front of her.

It seemed to be the opening of Takeo Industry, a man stood in the middle, a wide smile on his face. Dark brown hair along with his dark green eyes give off this unsettling feeling, somehow emitting a dangerous aura.

Umi sat down, right across the blonde who faced her.

"Takeo Industry," Eli began. "Manufacturer of medicine and various medical supplies. Takeo Takahashi is the CEO. What we can see above are normal and usual business processes, however, EFO has investigated on the sudden numerous crimes that had happened and all have led back to Takeo Industry. At first, we were unsure, but given the increase of leads and the crimes happening near the said industry, we have confirmed that the CEO has been doing some nasty things."

"Another confirmation we have was when I was sent out on a mission." Eli continued, her voice in a monotone. "I have confirmed that there are many criminal groups working under Takeo, however, the orders are sent out under the initials Y and S."

"Takeo..." Umi mumbled, she silently processed the information as she continued scanning the papers in the folder.

"We researched on Takeo, but he had no past records whatsoever. No school records, past jobs or anything at all." Eli added, a tired look on her face. "With only those information on our hands, we literally have no idea what kind of tricks or moves he would do."

"But you must know a way to defeat him..."

"The special chip," Eli answered. "Like what you've seen during special training, this chip brings pain to the user in order for them to use it. But of course, it's powerful, especially when used in full power. And that's what we'll use to defeat him."

"Full power?" Umi questioned, a confused look on her face. "Doesn't that mean that the effects of using it would be powerful too?"

"That's...true." The blonde replied quietly. "At 30% power, it was...barely bearable. I only managed it before I passed out in your arms. I don't know how it would feel like at 100% power but they've described it to me... 'Unbearable burning pain spreading all throughout your body, almost as if you were being burned alive...'" She looked away, gritting her teeth.

Umi's face contorted into one of shock before she shouted, "You mustn't use something like that!" A worried look crossed her features. "That could... It could..."

"Kill me, I know." Eli finished. She smiled weakly at the archer. "I haven't been given the permission to use it, but... If the time comes, I will do so without hesitation."

"Eli..." Umi whispered, her expression still worried and forlorn.

They both fell into silence for a minute. Both processing what has been said. Umi bit her lip, her gaze plastered onto the floor. With a sigh, she stood up and walked away.

Eli's gaze followed the archer's movements until she left the room. Her gaze fell onto the floor once again.

-/-

A few minutes passed as Eli continues to stare onto the floor, a strained expression on her face. _Given everything that I explained... She must've been—_

"Eli."

The blonde looked up immediately, seeing the archer beaming at her.

"I thought... You were..." Eli mumbled, a confused look on her face.

"I have something for you," Umi said, a small smile on her face. "I do feel overwhelmed with all that's happening," She reached out and held the blonde's hand. "And it may seem like I'm disagreeing with the actions you are to do, but the truth is... I'm not. I guess I'm just too worried about you that I forget to believe in you."

"Umi..." The blonde whispered, their eyes locked together.

The archer smiled wider. "I guess you can think of this as a reminder that... No matter what happens... I'll always be by your side. Though we may disagree on some things, quarrel and even hurt each other, please know that I'll be with you. I love you and that's not going to change."

A bracelet. It was a thin leather-like material, the color slightly lighter than the archer's hair. There was a silver chocolate shaped charm connected in the middle.

Eli's eyes widened in surprise. She used her finger and traced the charm on the bracelet, feeling some characters engraved on it. "'Love, Umi.'" She whispered, a smile on her face.

"Thank you. I'll take care of it, hold onto it as long as I live..." The blonde uttered, her voice filled with gratitude. Umi smiled back in reply.

"Actually," Eli grinned as she stood up and went to her bag. "I wanted to give you this, I just didn't find the right time..."

She pulled out a small light blue bag, a dark blue ribbon tied around the top of it. "Here ya go." Eli handed it to her.

Umi opened it in haste and plopped the contents on her hand.

"Sorry," Eli sighed. "It's not that great. I was way better in making those during my first year since I had the time but nowadays I haven't really had the chance to. But I managed and made that for you."

"You made...this?" Umi was shocked. It was a necklace. Silver and blue metallic chains connected them, along with a light blue gemmed bow and arrow charm dangling in the middle.

"Yes." Eli chuckled nervously. "Do you like it? I can make something else if you want—I mean, since it's not nice and all... and—"

"I love it..." Umi said simply, interrupting the blonde as she held onto the necklace. "I'll cherish it forever... Thank you, Eli."

The blonde, taken aback, gave a small nervous smile and nodded.

"I love you."

-/-

Hours passed since then. The two continued on and started training, archery and martial arts. Akemi even invited Eli to their dance exhibit happening very soon. They enjoyed each other's presence, completely forgetting about everything that they're going through, that is...until Eli was called by the agency for a meeting and training. They bid goodbyes and both Ryuu and Eli left.

They walked quietly, Eli walking a few steps behind Ryuu.

"How're your bruises?" Ryuu asked as they turned to the next street.

"Manageable, sir," Eli replied quietly.

"How about your practice earlier with Umi?"

Eli didn't reply right away, thinking of the right words to use. _An escape from the problems I am to face..._

"That's nice," Ryuu commented, a small smile on his lips. "I'm sure it was the same for Umi, after all, you two are very alike. The both of you get along well, and Umi would always talk about you when we ask about her day. It almost seemed like you both were in a relationship with each other." He joked.

Eli blushed at the latter part, but she laughed it off nervously and agreed.

The two of them then continued their conversation, Ryuu asking and Eli answering.

"We're almost there," Ryuu mentioned, before he stopped in his tracks.

Confused, Eli stopped as well. "Heichou?"

"Eli." He spoke, his voice serious as he turned to face the blonde.

Eli tensed, but nevertheless, she replied, "Yes, sir?"

"Your mission." Ryuu began. "Takeo will stop at nothing to get what he wants. And he wants EFO gone, and you, dead."

The blonde nodded, confirming that she had heard what he said.

"He'll do anything, and with your information in his hands... It's likely... That he'll take one of your friends or even your sister as hostage..." Ryuu continued, his eyes downcast. "That's why... I'm asking—no, I'm begging you. Protect them. My daughter..."

He looked up and met Eli's surprised eyes.

"Can I entrust my daughter's life to you?"

Eli stood, the expression of shock plastered on her face. She gulped and bit her lip, her head lowered.

"Sonoda-heichou," Eli said. "From the months of spending time together with your daughter, we've both grown to love each other. Idol activities, martial arts and archery training, or simply, spending time with each other. She provided me with the comfort I desperately needed in this crazy world I live in."

Eli kneeled, her head bowed and her right hand placed over her chest. "I swear on my life. I will protect her." She looked up, meeting Ryuu's eyes. "This heart, I am willing to offer. To protect your daughter. To protect my light."

Tears appeared at the edge of Ryuu's eyes before he blinked it away and bowed.

"She's in your care. Thank you, Eli."

-/-

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: short chapter! we’re nearing the climax. i hope y’all are still with me. and uhm, i dont know, it’s kinda getting hard for me to write more since ahaha more problems and stuff but please know that i’m trying my best, please be patient with me :”<

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted in FanFiction.Net so feel free to check it out there! I'll be posting the rest of the chapters soon.
> 
> Enjoy and don't forget to comment if there's anything wrong with the grammar, spelling, etc.


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